Hold it Together (As We Fall Apart)
by Faberrittanainthetardis
Summary: Kara and Lena try to move on after 5x08, slowly realizing their true feelings as everything crumbles around them.
1. Chapter 1

**My first venture into writing Supergirl. Hopefully, you guys enjoy this and want me to continue. I look forward to diving further into Supercorp shipping! **

**Note: Maybe include crisis/the aftermath of Crisis.**

**Let me know if you think I should continue. :)**

Kara let out a shuddering breath as she slowly brushed her thumb over Lena's jaw, her eyes misted with tears. She wished that she could actually touch her best friend again, that it wasn't just a photo she was touching but after what she'd done she wasn't sure she would ever have the opportunity again.

There was a light knock at her door and Kara looked up, surprised that she hadn't heard anyone approaching. Usually, her super hearing would have picked it up. Her heart leaped with hope and she narrowed her eyes, using her x-ray vision on the door. Her heart sank in despair when she saw that it wasn't Lena.

"Kara?"

Kara begrudgingly set the photo she'd been holding onto the coffee table and got to her feet. She walked across the room, hastily wiping away her tears as she did so and opened the door to greet Nia.

"Nia." Kara managed a meek smile at the sight of her friend. "What are you doing here? Did Alex send you?"

As Kara stepped out of the way to allow her entrance, Nia stepped into the loft, closing the door behind her. "No, of course not. Why would you even think…" She paused at Kara's disbelieving stare. "Okay, maybe she called and mentioned you weren't feeling great but coming over was my idea, I swear! I brought potstickers!"

Kara blinked at the paper bag Nia was suddenly holding in front of her face. Usually, she'd be salivating at the thought of her favorite food but now her stomach just clenched uncomfortably at the thought of eating anything. "I-I'm not really hungry. Thank you though."

Nia's brow furrowed in confusion at the response. That definitely wasn't normal for Kara. "You heard me say _potstickers_, right?" She let her hand fall to her side as she watched Kara look away like she felt guilty at not accepting the offer of her favorite food. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for what happened with Lena."

Kara swallowed thickly against the lump that formed in her throat at the mention of Lena's name. "It's okay. I'm okay, I just need t-to figure out how to fix this. I'm not giving up on her. I can't give up."

Nia watched as Kara made her way back to the couch, sitting back down. She carefully set the bag in her hand on Kara's counter before she made her way toward her friend, sitting down next to her. "Maybe instead of the food, you could use some company instead?"

Kara nodded, tears clouding her eyes at the thoughtful suggestion. She didn't deserve such amazing friends. "I would like that. Thanks, Nia."

Nia moved closer to Kara, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hug her from the side. "What are friends for?" She hadn't expected the rhetorical question to garner a response from Kara and her eyes widened when a broken sob escaped the girl of steel. "Oh, I-I'm sorry…"

Kara shook her head against Nia's shoulder. "It's my fault." She replied through tears. "I should have been a better friend, I should have been honest. Instead, I was just a...a coward. And look what's happened because of it."

"You did what you thought was best," Nia replied gently, her chest aching as Kara's tears soaked through her sweater. Her words were weak, not because she didn't believe them - she absolutely did, with every fiber of her being, but because she knew that Kara wouldn't believe what she was saying. "You don't have to blame yourself."

"But it's my fault!" Kara jerked away from Nia. Her eyes widened when she saw the surprise on Nia's face. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm not afraid of you, Kara. Well maybe a little, you could...actually snap me in two if you wanted to. But I know you wouldn't. I trust you."

"I should have trusted Lena." Kara murmured, lifting her hand to wipe her face with her sleeve. She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. She had cried more than she deserved to already. Even if she wanted to curl up into a ball and sob until she couldn't anymore, she wouldn't. "Let's talk about something else. How are you and Brainy?"

A smile sprung to Nia's face at the mention of Brainy. "W-We're good. Great actually. But are you sure you want to talk about that?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's not like I broke up with my girlfrie-" Kara paused as her heart leaped in her chest for some unknown reason. "Lena is my best friend but that's all."

Nia was unconvinced, especially as she looked down and saw the photo Kara had obviously been clutching before she got there. She reached down, carefully picking it up and set it down on the coffee table in front of them.

Kara stared longingly at the picture. She missed those days. When Lena was her friend, when Kara could walk into a room and give the CEO a hug for no reason besides the two of them not seeing each other for a couple of days. When Lena didn't hate her enough to imprison her in the fortress of solitude. Kara wished she'd made more use of that time she'd had with Lena. Now she might never get the chance again.

"Kara?" Nia pressed gently, resting her hand lightly on Kara's knee. Blue eyes flicked back to her own. "Did you hear what I said?"

Kara silently shook her head.

Nia smiled gently. "I said how about I go and warm up those potstickers for us and you try to eat something? We can watch a movie to take your mind off things."

"Right…" Kara said faintly, still lost in her own thoughts. She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. Alex had said she would be stopping by later and Kara was well aware of how her sister could get when she didn't think Kara was taking good enough care of herself. "Thanks, Nia."

"Anytime."

As Nia got up to reheat their food, Kara sank into the back of the couch, her eyes glued to the picture. She had fought hard for Lena, sure, but she would do that for any of her friends...wouldn't she?

-  
Lena stared blankly at the plain white ceiling above her bed. She couldn't sleep. Her thoughts tormented her too relentlessly for her to be able to catch a few precious minutes of sleep. Exhaustion would catch up on her. She knew that. Eventually, she would succumb to the blissful reprieve of slumber and she wouldn't have to think anymore. She wouldn't be stuck with thoughts of Kara racing through her mind.

_No_, she corrected herself sharply, her brow furrowing, _Not Kara_. _Supergirl_. _She isn't Kara anymore. Not her Kara._

Maybe she had never been _her_ Kara. Maybe _her_ Kara wasn't even real.

Supergirl had lied to her, used her. Made Lena believe that Kara Danvers was someone she wasn't. Staring at the ceiling, Lena remembered the blinding fear she'd felt when she'd thought that Kara was in danger. She'd never felt fear like that before.

"_Kara, the safest place for you to be right now is with me."_

Kara must have thought her to be such an idiot for saying that. It was laughable. A Luthor trying to protect a Super. Her feeble attempts must have been hilarious to supergirl.

"_Kara, are you okay?!"_

"_Yeah. Mercy must have hired terrible marksman. They totally missed me."_

Lena gritted her teeth and twisted onto her side, curling into a ball as tears prickled at her eyes.

"_I'm about to die but at least I lived without ever being a fool."_

Lex's words rang in her ears as if he were in the very same room as her. He was right, she had been a fool. She'd been a fool to turn her back on her vow to never let anyone in. She'd been a fool to trust Kara as much as she had. She'd been a fool to not see what was right in front of her.

She hated Kara for doing that to her. She hated her. She hated her with every fiber of her being.

"_Kara Danvers, YOU_ _are my hero."_

Lena buried her face into her pillow, crying silently into the soft cotton. She wished she could just make it stop, that she could just forget it all. She'd prefer anything to this utter misery she was feeling. Kara Danvers had crushed her, had humiliated her.

Had broken her as nobody else could.

__-

"_Alex! Alex, help me!" Kara's hands pounded against the small glass window of the pod she was confined in, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. She could feel the burning agony of kryptonite coursing through her, seeping her power away._

_Outside of the pod, there was darkness, pure darkness with no sight of the person she was calling for. Alex wouldn't be coming to save her this time. Nobody was going to come._

_Still, Kara slammed her hands frantically against the glass. She couldn't get out. There was no escaping the prison she'd been trapped in. "Alex! ALEX!"_

"ALEX!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Alex caught Kara's arms as her sister bolted upright in bed. The force with which Kara had sprung up with almost had Alex tumbling to the floor but she managed to steady herself before she could fall. "Kara! Hey, you're okay. I'm here. It's okay."

It took a moment but finally, Kara's wide, tear-filled baby blue eyes focused on Alex's worried face. "A-Alex, I-I…"

"It's okay." Alex crawled further onto the bed and Kara fell forward into her arms, her tears coming thicker and faster.

"It's okay," Alex repeated, gently running her hand over Kara's hair. "It was just a nightmare. You're safe, I promise."

"I couldn't get out." Kara choked brokenly into Alex's shoulder. "I was calling for you a-and you weren't...I couldn't...a-and Lena…"

Alex gently shushed Kara, trying to calm her down while also trying to quell the sudden feeling of fury blooming in her chest. Lena had better hope that she didn't find herself in Alex's path anytime soon.

"I was so scared." Kara whimpered into the shirt Alex had borrowed from her when she'd gotten there. "I didn't think you were coming…"

"Of course I was coming," Alex said firmly. "You think a crazy Luthor and an impenetrable fortress would be enough to keep me away?" She felt Kara tense in her arms and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I'm just joking, Kara."

Kara nodded and slowly pulled away, wiping at her eyes. Alex didn't miss the subtle tremble of Kara's hands.

"It's been a long time since you had dreams like this," Alex remarked softly. She remembered Kara used to have them all of the time when she was younger. Nightmares. Panic attacks at being in an even slightly enclosed space.

Kara guiltily bowed her head. "I'm okay…"

"No, you're not." Alex disagreed with a sad smile. "It's okay not to be okay, Kara. It's only me here. You don't have to hide it from me."

Kara chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip for a moment before she nodded her head. "Will you stay here with me?" She jerked her head toward the pillow next to her own. "I don't want to…"

"Of course. I was sleeping here anyway. Nia's crashed on your couch. I don't think she wanted to leave until I got here and I was...really late." Alex said sheepishly. "I didn't have the heart to wake her."

As Kara lay down, Alex moved to lie next to her. As Kara turned onto her back to face the ceiling, Alex turned onto her side to silently watch Kara.

Kara was silent for a few long moments before she spoke, her voice trembling. "I really...I love her, Alex."

Alex knew that Kara wasn't talking about Nia. "I know."

Kara swallowed convulsively. "She's my best friend." She murmured before she turned onto her side.

Alex stared at Kara's back, wondering why her sister had felt the need to elaborate on what she'd meant. "Kara…"

"Goodnight, Alex."

Alex sighed softly. Kara was stubborn. If she didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to talk. "Goodnight."

-  
_A week later_  
"You can do it, Danvers." Kara mumbled to herself as she stared at herself in the mirror. Thankfully she had checked that nobody else was in the stalls before she'd started talking to herself in the mirror. "It's just a day at work, that's all. Just a normal day at work."

She tucked her hair behind her ears, letting out a slow breath. She hated to admit it but her work had suffered after everything that had happened with her and Lena. She could barely focus on anything anymore. Everything at CatCo reminded her of Lena.

She knew that she couldn't keep doing this to herself. She had to give Lena time and space, that was all. She needed to give Lena time to heal. As much as it pained her to do so.

Kara was torn from her thoughts by her phone ringing in her pocket. She quickly scrambled to answer it, noticing it was Alex. "Hey, Alex. I was…"

"Kara, it's Lena." Alex interjected before Kara could finish speaking. "Something's going down at L-Corp. There's talk of shooters. You can get there faster than us. I know she-"

Kara didn't let Alex finish what she was saying. She dropped her phone and tore her glasses off before fleeing the bathroom, followed by the building as her suit formed around her. Her super speed had never felt slower than at that moment and Kara was struck by the idea that she wished Barry was there to give her a boost.

"Come on, come on…" Kara gritted her teeth to push herself faster. It could have only been seconds but it felt like hours before she finally burst into Lena's office. She glanced frantically around, noticing the office was smashed up, the entire contents of Lena's desk seemingly on the floor.

Her super-hearing picked up the sound of a smash beneath her feet and without hesitation she dashed off again, making her way down to Lena's lab. She crashed through the door, still at a speed that would easily rival the Flash's. Her eyes widened when she saw Lena standing with her back against the wall, her eyes wide with fear as five heavily armed men pointed their guns at her and pulled the triggers.

Without thinking, Kara flew across the room, pressing Lena against the wall with her own body. Time seemed to speed up around her again as she cupped the back of Lena's head drawing it to her shoulder to shield her.

Bullets hit her back, falling harmlessly to the ground but the men kept firing, clearly alarmed at the sudden presence of Supergirl.

Kara held Lena throughout it, feeling the woman trembling in her arms. Her face was pressed into Kara's neck, her hands clutching at Kara's back under her cape. Kara couldn't feel the bullets but she could vividly feel Lena's nails digging into her shoulder blades through her suit.

Guiltily, Kara couldn't help but soak in the feeling of being so close to Lena. She'd missed it. Her warmth, her scent. Everything about her.

Finally, the shooting died down and Kara reluctantly pulled away. Lena's eyes met hers and Kara swallowed thickly. She hesitated for a moment before she remembered the men behind them and turned on them, anger blazing in her eyes.

"Shit…" One of the men muttered, struggling to reload his gun as Kara advanced on him. Just as he lifted his weapon, he was hit with a punch to the jaw, knowing him unconscious.

Lena let out a slow breath as Kara dealt with the mean who'd attacked her, disarming them one by one.

Kara let the final mercenary fall to the ground and she made her way quickly back to Lena. "Are you okay? W-Were you hit?!"

Lena silently shook her head. She was still shaken, she had to admit but she didn't want to let it show. "I'm fine, _Supergirl_."

Kara grimaced slightly but chose to ignore Lena's pointed comment. She looked down at Lena's wrist, frowning slightly. "You don't have the watch I gave you…?"

"I have it somewhere," Lena answered, trying to seem nonchalant about it. "I don't see the need for it anymore. You can have it back if you wa…"

"Why didn't you use it?! What the hell were you thinking, Lena? You could have died!"

Kara was close. Suddenly too close and Lena felt like she couldn't breathe. "I didn't want you!" She pushed at Supergirl's chest but of course, the Kryptonian didn't budge. "I don't want you. That's why I didn't call you."

Hurt flickered across Kara's expression, her anger replaced by pain. "Lena…"

Lena gritted her teeth and looked away. She couldn't stand it. The way Kara said her name. Gentle and reverently. Like she cared. She was momentarily distracted by Alex rushing into the room with a few other agents. "I believe I made my feelings perfectly clear, Supergirl. I don't want you here."

Kara's lip trembled. "Lena, I'm sorry. I just…I know you don't want to see me. I know you...hate me. That I hurt you more than...more than I can imagine but don't do this. Don't put yourself at risk to get back at me. I'm not worth it. I'm here if you need me. It doesn't have to be as a friend but I can protect you if you're in danger and..."

"You're rambling, Supergirl." Lena snapped, effectively silencing Kara. "You're the very last person I would want to protect me after what you've do-"

"Alright, enough!" Alex suddenly appeared between them, her hand going to Kara's arm. "Supergirl, leave. I've got this from here."

"Alex…" Kara's teary eyes turned to Alex. Pleading with her.

"I won't hurt her," Alex said softly. It was a promise she hoped she could keep. "Go."

Lena stared at Kara as the woman glanced at her one last time before she flew off. She barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before Alex turned on her, anger written across her face.

"I understand that you're angry and hurt. That you feel betrayed." Alex said, keeping her voice low. "But what you're doing is cruel. What you've done to her is _cruel!"_

Lena's eyebrows shot up. "_I'm_ being cruel?! What about what she's…"

"How could she tell you?!" Alex interrupted sharply. "You barely even liked Supergirl! She thought you'd hate her. That you'd stop being her friend."

"That's not the…"

Alex held up a hand. "I'm not finished! Do you know she's been having nightmares since you locked her in that _prison_?!"

"What?" Lena's brow furrowed in confusion. "She knew I wasn't going to kill her, she…"

"She's claustrophobic!" Alex hissed, trembling with anger. "And you attacked her with Kryptonite even though you know how she feels about it!"

Lena stayed silent, at a loss for words. She hadn't known that. How hadn't she known that?

Alex scoffed and turned to walk away. Lena may have still been her friend but Alex was too angry to even look at her. She was surprised to see that during her exchange with Lena and Supergirl, the other DEO agents had dragged the mercenaries out of there.

"Alex."

Alex paused near the door, debating whether she should respond to Lena or not. She turned her head slightly. "What, Lena?"

"I wasn't Supergirl's biggest fan at times," Lena spoke softly, the crack in her voice betraying her feelings. "But I was Kara Danvers'. I would have hoped she'd known that. That she would have trusted me. Clearly, I misread our friendship."

Alex let out a soft sigh. "She adores you, Lena. She made a mistake, that's all. Who doesn't?"

Lena opened her mouth to answer but she stopped as Alex walked away. Trembling, she slid down the wall, her hand going to her chest. She could still feel Kara's warmth.

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the comments on this, I really appreciate them. I hope you all like the second chapter too.**

**Note: Ignoring Crisis for now (partially because I've yet to watch it). Might include it later. Might not. **

Alex wasn't surprised when she walked into the DEO to find Kara pacing back and forth in front of the screens. Brainy was sitting nearby, watching Kara with a vaguely mystified expression.

Upon seeing Alex, Kara stopped pacing and walked briskly forward, her cape flowing behind her. "Where is she?"

Alex sighed softly at Kara's worried expression. "She's still at L-Corp. She's fine, I had someone check her o-"

"You left her _alone_?!" Kara exclaimed, her eyes wide. "She was just attacked. Do we even know who attacked her yet? Or _why_ they attacked her? How could you just leave her there alone, Alex?"

"I left her there alone because she doesn't want anything to do with us." Alexa regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"I need to go." Kara moved to walk past Alex only for her sister to step in her way, gripping her arms.

"Supergirl, stop," Alex said strictly, her eyes narrowing at Kara. "Not yet. She's not ready to hear what you have to say. Just give her some time, okay? Take a step back and calm down."

Kara bit the inside of her cheek, willing her eyes not to cloud with tears again. "Someone needs to protect her."

"I have agents stationed outside of L-Corp. Nothing's going to happen to her." Alex replied calmly. "She's my friend too. I'm not going to let anything happen to her even if she's being…" She paused, seeing Kara frown at her. "Go home and get some rest. Take a few days away from all of this to clear your head."

"What? I don't need time, I'm fine!" Kara shook her head emphatically. "Alex, I'm _fine_. I just need to get back to work...here and at CatCo."

Alex glanced around to make sure nobody was listening before she stepped closer to Kara. "You're not okay, Kara. We both know that."

Her brow still furrowed, Kara tugged herself free of Alex's light grip and turned, walking away.

"Supergirl!"

"I'm not going to see Lena," Kara called over her shoulder, a sharp edge to her voice. She wasn't sure why she was angry with Alex. Maybe she wasn't, maybe she was just angry with herself. Angry that because of her mistake she couldn't even go to Lena to protect her anymore.

"That did not seem to go well." Brainy commented in concern.

Alex flinched at his voice, turning her head quickly toward the left. She let out a breath, relieved that it was only him. "You don't say." She muttered before she walked away, her chest tight with emotion.

She didn't want to hurt Kara by being so blunt with her but she didn't want her sister putting herself in harm's way because of the guilt she felt either. She knew that where Lena was concerned, Kara had a tendency to dive in first and ask questions later.

-

Lena gritted her teeth as she stared hard at that damned watch, sitting on the coffee table in front of her couch. The hand clutching her glass of chardonnay trembled subtly, causing the wine to splash against the sides of the glass. She put it down to anger as well as nerves from what had happened that morning.

She hated having to look at that watch every day. It was if it were mocking her. There would always be some piece of _Supergirl_ in her life, no matter how hard Lena tried to purge herself of the woman who'd built her up and so effortlessly torn her back down.

She set the glass of wine down on her coffee table and snatched the watch up. Getting to her feet she turned and drew her arm back, intending to throw the wretched thing out of the window only to pause at the last second.

Hesitating for a moment, she pressed her thumb firmly down on the button and awaited Supergirl's arrival. She had to admit, she didn't know whether the woman would actually show up or not. As the seconds ticked by it seemed to become less and less likely.

Finally, just as she was about to give up, she jumped in alarm at a sudden crash from her balcony. She hastened over, partially to check what the noise was and partially because she was sure she'd left her balcony door ajar.

She reached the door just in time to see Supergirl pulling herself shakily to her feet.

"You came," Lena said, surprised that Kara had even shown up. "You...crashed?"

Kara grimaced as she dusted herself off. "Maybe."

Lena was silent as she looked Kara over, taking note of how unsteady she seemed to be on her feet. She noticed that Kara's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were slightly glazed over. "Are you _drunk_?!"

Kara smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I might be a-a bish...ah, a bit."

Lena stared long and hard at Kara who was clearly trying not to laugh at her own mistake, before she scoffed in disbelief and whirled around, storming back into her living room. "Unbelievable!"

"Sorry." Kara followed Lena hesitantly inside. "You called for me."

"I didn't expect you to turn up here drunk!" Lena whirled around to face Kara, anger clear on her face. "Why would you even FLY drunk?!"

"You...called me," Kara said, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"STOP looking at me like that!" Lena snapped in annoyance. She lifted a hand, covering her eyes and sighed loudly in annoyance. Silence followed and after a long moment, Lena lowered her hand to see Kara biting her lip as she tried pointedly not to look at her. "Here. I called you to give back your watch. I don't need it."

Wide-eyed, Kara looked back at Lena. "I don't want it back."

"Well, I don't want it either." Lena moved forward, pressing the watch against Kara's chest. "Take it."

Kara frowned. "No."

"Take it, I'm not going to use it!"

"I don't want it back."

"_Supergirl_!" Lena pushed harder, trying to make Kara take the watch.

"Stop calling me that!" Kara's voice rose for the first time and Lena paused in surprise. She blinked, seeing tears lacing Kara's eyes. "It's Kara. I'm still _Kara_." She scrambled for her glasses and put them on. Lena watched as the suit disappeared in front of her eyes, leaving Kara standing in front of her in her usual attire.

Lena let her hand drop down to her side. "Fine. I'll keep it. But I'm not going to use it. Just get out."

"Lena." Kara reached out and grabbed Lena's arm. She pulled her firmly forward, maybe a bit too hard as Lena stumbled into Kara's chest, her hands instinctively gripping the Kryptonian's shoulders. "What can I do to make it better? Just tell me. _Please_."

Lena was caught off guard, both by the sheer desperation in Kara's voice and by how close they suddenly were. She could smell alcohol on Kara's breath, feel the beating of her heart through the soft sweater Kara was wearing. She swallowed hard, her own heart racing.

"Do you want to hit me?" Kara offered breathily. "I'm okay with that. I-I can...I'll let you."

Lena's stomach twisted uncomfortably. She remembered the simulations she'd created where she did just that but none of them had made her feel better. What's worse, Kara hadn't looked at her like she was now. "You're drunk, Su…" She paused just short of saying Supergirl again. "You're drunk. How does a Kryptonian even get drunk?"

Kara's grip tightened slightly as Lena made a feeble attempt to pull away. "It's...complisac...complicated."

Lena observed Kara for a long moment before she made up her mind. Now that Kara was there and _drunk_ at that, Lena figured she may as well make use of the time. She was using Kara, she told herself. Taking advantage just like Kara had with her. With Kara's inhibitions mostly melted away, Lena was sure she could get some honesty out of the woman.

"You're going to have to sober up before you leave," Lena said after a moment, painfully aware that Kara was still holding onto her. She was still holding onto Kara for that matter. She had yet to let go of her shoulders. "I can't have you killing someone, can I?"

Kara nodded somberly, her heart leaping in her chest at the thought of getting to spend time with Lena. "So should I…?"

Lena rolled her eyes. "You can start by letting go of me. Then sit down. I'll bring you some coffee."

Kara reluctantly let her arms drop from around Lena and let her move back. She watched Lena turn and walk away from her and when the CEO disappeared she walked toward the couch, sinking down into the soft upholstery. She bit her lip, thinking about all of the times she'd sat on that exact couch with Lena. When they were friends.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, blinking when she saw Lena walking back into the room with a mug cradled in her hands.

"Here." Lena handed the warm cup to Kara and sat down, further away than she usually would, crossing her legs.

"Thank you," Kara mumbled, looking down into the dark liquid.

"How much of this are you going to remember tomorrow?" Lena asked thoughtfully. She hastened to explain herself when Kara looked at her. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea. This doesn't make us friends."

Kara shrugged in response to Lena's original question. "Alcohol usually doesn't infect my memories."

"Affect." Lena corrected automatically, her voice soft.

Kara bit the inside of her cheek, agreeing with a tiny nod of her head.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now," Lena said quietly, her eyes still fixed on Kara. She wasn't sure whether it helped or not that Kara looked like _Kara_ instead of Supergirl. She was starting to think that in some ways it was making it worse. "Let's play a game, shall we?"

Kara's brow furrowed in confusion. That was the last thing she'd expected to come out of Lena's mouth. "A game?"

"Yes." Lena nodded in response. "I'll make a statement and you can tell me whether it was the truth or a lie."

Kara sighed softly. She wasn't sure she liked where this game was going. Still, she gave a hesitant nod. At least Lena was speaking to her. She took a quick sip of her coffee before she set her cup aside.

"Okay." Lena turned slightly to face Kara, trying not to let her hands tremble. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answers to the questions she was about to ask. "You trusted me."

"One hundred percent." Kara nodded emphatically.

"You still trusted your other friends more than me."

"Our other friends." Kara corrected with a frown. "Wrong. I trust you with my life. You've saved my life on countless-"

"You don't trust me with kryptonite." Lena interrupted, speaking through gritted teeth. "Which is why you asked James to break into my vault. You thought I would use it against you."

Kara was silent for a moment before she shook her head. "I don't trust anyone with kryptonite. Not even Alex. If it fell into the wrong hands it could be used against me or Kal."

"You only told me because you knew I would find out."

"No!"

"You used me."

"N-No. I would never-"

"You wanted to tell me."

"All of the time!"

"I'm your best friend."

"Of course."

"You care about me."

"I love you!" Kara burst out. "Of course I care about you. More than you know, I'm just...I was an idiot. I was a coward and I didn't want to put you in danger by telling you. I didn't want to hurt you by telling you I'd been lying to you for so long. I wanted to put it off for as long as possible because I was selfish and I didn't want to lose you!"

Lena stared long and hard at Kara. "You love me. Because I'm your best friend."

Kara's heart leaped with hope at the thought that she might be getting through to Lena. She reached forward, taking her hand and felt a wave of relief when she wasn't pushed away. "I love you completely."

Lena swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. "What does that even mean?"

Kara wasn't sure how to answer that herself. All she knew was that it was true. "Lena, I'm sorry. If I can do something to make this better just tell me and I'll do it. I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

Kara nodded without hesitation. She knew that Lena would never ask her to do anything morally wrong. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."

Lena lifted her hand, lightly touching Kara's cheek. "Sometimes I think...how could I be such an idiot to be taken in by this? A change of clothes and no glasses...it's ridiculous." She felt her breath hitch as Kara's eyes closed and the Kryptonian leaned into her touch. She had to remind herself that Kara was drunk. That she was reading too much into what was happening. "But you don't look like Supergirl like this. You just look like Kara. Like my Kara."

Kara's lower lip trembled. "I am. Lena, you have to…" her eyes flew open as Lena's fingers drifted to her lips and she was silenced with a single finger pressed to them. She could only watch, trembling with anticipation as Lena's eyes drifted over her face. Finally, Lena's fingers slipped away from her lips, followed by her hands leaving Kara's face completely, coming to rest instead on her shoulders.

Kara still couldn't speak, fascinated by whatever Lena was doing. She felt hands gently move down her shoulders and arms to her biceps, pausing there for a moment.

"The girl of steel." Lena murmured to herself thoughtfully, her eyes resting on Kara's arms. "I wouldn't have imagined you could lift a building."

Kara nervously licked her lips. "I'm stronger than I look."

"Looks can be deceiving, I suppose." Lena's eyes grew dark again and she drew her hands away, letting them fall into her lap instead. "You're a lot of things you don't seem to be."

Kara clenched her hands into fists, suddenly feeling chillingly sober. "Can I ask you a question?"

Lena scoffed slightly at the audacity of the suggestion but nodded for Kara to go ahead.

"Are you ever going to be able to forgive me?"

Lena frowned at the question. "I don't know."

Kara blinked quickly, taking a deep breath. "Do you still care about me?"

Lena shook her head slowly, her hair falling into her face as she bowed her head.

"O-Oh." Kara had feared that Lena's response would be what it had been but she'd underestimated how much it would.

"You idiot."

"What?"

"I said you're an idiot!" Lena's words were suddenly loud and choked with emotion. "Do you think I would be this angry with you if I didn't care?! I was i...I cared about you more than I've ever cared about anyone else. I love you. And I hate you."

Kara shuffled forward slightly, her hand coming to rest on Lena's knee. "Lena…"

Lena sniffled softly and brushed away her tears. "You should leave. You seem sober enough now."

Kara wanted to argue, she wanted to stay, but she nodded silently in response and slowly stood up. "Yeah. I'll see you...um...call me if you need me. Please."

Lena didn't answer, choosing to stare at the floor instead.

Kara lingered for a moment, wanting nothing more than to hug the brunette as tightly as a human could endure. Instead, she took a deep breath and headed for the balcony.

-

"Where have you been?!"

Kara faltered as she entered her apartment to find Nia waiting for her, sitting at the table. "Nia? What are you doing here?"

"Movie night, remember?" Nia frowned, getting to her feet as Kara walked further into the apartment. "We were drinking, talking…? Do you remember?"

"Oh, right." Kara looked toward the crumpled blankets on the couch in the living room. "Sorry. I guess I ruined our night, huh?"

Nia exhaled loudly. "I'm not angry, I was just worried about you. You said you can't usually get _drunk_ unless you drink that...stuff you had and then you just took off without saying anything!"

Kara grimaced, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry, I...had to take a call." She slipped off her shoes and walked to the couch, sinking down onto it with a weary sigh. The walk home had done nothing to calm her nerves. "Was I gone long?"

"About an hour." Nia moved to sit down next to Kara, tucking her legs underneath herself on the couch. She let her elbow rest on the back of the couch, her cheek coming to rest on her hand. "Lena?"

Kara looked at Nia in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I may have called Brainy," Nia replied with a small smile. "He mentioned that there was a 99.2496 percent chance that you'd rushed off to see Lena."

"That high?" Kara mused softly as she pulled the blankets over her legs.

Nia bit her lip, doing her best not to tell Kara that she was becoming somewhat predictable. "So what happened? Why did she call you?"

"I crashed on her balcony." Kara groaned at the thought of how clumsy she'd been. She almost wished the alcohol hadn't worn off so quickly so she wouldn't have to think about what a fool she'd made of herself until the next day. Like a normal person. "She tried to make me take the watch back and I offered to let her hit me if it would make her feel better."

"Kara." Nia's voice somehow conveyed concern and disapproval.

"I know, I know. It's messed up and Alex would be pissed if she heard me talking like that." Kara ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not thinking straight. I just want to be able to do something to fix this, I want to…" She paused as Nia frowned. "And now I realize that all I've talked about since you got here is Lena. Rao, I'm a horrible friend."

"No, you're not. Trust me, I'm the only person in this room who's qualified to say what kind of friend you are. But this needs to stop. You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened. You've been punished enough already." Nia lightly patted Kara's forearm. "Tell me what else happened. Without beating yourself up this time."

Kara managed a slight smile at that. "She asked me questions about our friendship. If I trusted her, why I didn't want her to have kryptonite. If I even cared about her…" Her brow furrowed at that as she recalled her answer. How easy it was to tell Lena that she loved her. "She told me that she hates me. I deserved it, I suppose. I asked. She said she…" She hesitated, biting the inside of her cheek.

Nia hummed quizzically.

"That she cares about me too." Kara finally finished, still lost in her own thoughts. "She did something else too but...I'm not sure what to think about it. It was like she was inspecting me."

"As the alien of the two of you, isn't 'inspecting' your job?"

Kara couldn't help but laugh at the comment, surprising even herself. "I mean she wanted to figure out how she didn't know I was Supergirl."

"Okay. And…?"

Kara closed her eyes, recalling the way Lena's hands had run gently down her shoulders, the brush of Lena's fingers against her lips. She remembered fighting the urge to lean in and kiss Lena until the hurt went away. "Nia?"

"Yeah?"

"I think…" Kara swallowed hard, turning her head to look at Nia. "I think I'm in love with Lena Luthor."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all of the reviews, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

"Nia!"

Nia was stirring copious amounts of sugar into her morning latte when she heard her name being called. Her brow furrowed in confusion, she looked up, turning her head to see Alex walking toward her with Kelly hot on her heels.

"Hey, Alex." Nia glanced over Alex's shoulder at Kelly. "Morning Kelly."

Kelly offered a smile of her own in response but she didn't have time to say anything before Alex cut in.

"Is Kara avoiding me?"

Nia blinked at Alex in surprise. "No? Why would she be avoiding you?"

"We were meant to meet for lunch yesterday and she didn't show," Alex explained, concern evident on her face. "That's not like Kara. Late? Absolutely. But she never just doesn't show up for something. At least without letting me know first."

Nia opened her mouth to answer but she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. She noticed a line forming behind her and her eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry." She quickly put the lid on her coffee and moved out of the way to allow people access to the counter.

"She probably just forgot, Alex." Nia reasoned as she made her way out of the coffee shop with Alex and Kelly. "She has a lot on her mind."

"Like Lena?" Alex guessed.

"Yeah. She's just confused. Trying to figure everything out." Nia sat down at one of the outside tables and took a sip of her coffee. "I don't think she even really knows what all of this means yet."

Alex sighed. She didn't want to admit it herself. "I think it's obvious what it means."

"Yeah to me and you but Kara's too focused on what it means now that Lena 'hates her'." Nia frowned at the thought. She was sure that wasn't true. She hoped it wasn't, for Kara's sake. "She doesn't want to be rejected."

"Wait...what?"

Kelly glanced between the two, noticing surprise on Nia's face and confusion on Alex's. "Something tells me that the two of you aren't talking about the same thing."

"Oh!" Nia's eyes widened in realization. "Kara hasn't...I thought she'd spoken to you about…I'm just going to shut up now. Actually, I'm gonna go. I realized I have a-a thing…see you two later!"

Alex was silent as Nia hurried away with her coffee.

"Alex?"

Alex slowly shook her head. "Kara is in love with Lena Luthor. How didn't I see that coming? Of course, she's in love with her."

Kelly sympathetically rubbed Alex's arm. She was well aware of how close Kara and Alex were and she knew that Alex would be beating herself up over not being able to recognize Kara's turmoil for what it was.

"Why wouldn't she talk to me about this?" Alex seemed to be talking more to herself than to Kelly. "When I realized I had feelings for women she was the first person I spoke to."

"It's a little more complicated for her," Kelly said gently. "It's not every day you fall for someone who used to be your best friend and now potentially hates you...is it?"

Alex let out a heavy sigh. "I really need to talk to my sister."

-

"Is it time yet?"

Lex rolled his eyes skyward at the gruff question from the impatient speedster in front of him. He reclined back in his chair with a soft exhale.

"I told you, it will be the time when I say it's the time." Lex drawled, looking away from his chessboard to watch white lightning crackle over the suit of the speedster. He supposed he should be at least somewhat afraid of the self-proclaimed god in front of him yet all he felt was irritation at the incessant questioning, coupled with excitement when he thought about what was to happen. He almost wanted to draw it out for the sake of the anticipation.

Still, he thought, he couldn't put off the chance to take down a Super. With all of the resources, he could hope for at his fingers, courtesy of the Monitor, he would be a fool to wait.

He got to his feet, reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer to draw out what looked like a ceremonial dagger. "Here."

In a flash, the masked 'man' across from him moved over and took the knife from his hands.

"Careful," Lex warned as he sat back down. "What you're holding may be impossible to recreate."

He was sure he was the only person in the universe to ever have created such a thing. He was sure not even his sister had considered fusing two types of kryptonite together. She didn't have his ambition. His drive.

"What is it?" Godspeed looked at the dagger, noticing the metallic purple hue to the blade.

"A Kryptonian's greatest weakness," Lex replied smugly. "Do you have the V9?"

"Yes."

"And you remember what I requested of you?"

Godspeed nodded in response. "I know what must be done."

Lex nodded and turned back to his game, moving his knight further onto the board. He would kill Superman but not before getting rid of the Kryptonian's cousin first.

Nia walked out of the elevator with her head lowered, her rapidly cooling cup of coffee held in her left hand while she gripped the strap of her bag with her right. She couldn't believe that she had outed Kara after all she had done for her. She had just assumed that Kara would have spoken to Alex already. It seemed to her like the Danvers sisters could speak to each other about anything, not like herself and her own sister.

Given that she was staring intently at the floor as she walked, Nia didn't see the woman walking toward her until it was too late. She walked right into Lena Luthor.

Lena grabbed Nia's arms to steady them both and gasped as coffee spilled onto her white blouse. Fortunately, it wasn't hot."Damn it…"

"L-Lena!" Nia squeaked out, surprised to see the woman at CatCo. She looked down at the coffee stain on the front of Lena's blouse, her own hand dripping with the warm drink. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going."

Lena grimaced as she tugged at the front of her shirt to keep it from making contact with her skin. "Evidently."

Nia swallowed thickly. She glanced around and quickly Lena over to a nearby desk so she could put her coffee down. "Here, I-I'll give you my sweater to wear. You shouldn't walk around in wet clothes. I'm so _so _sorry."

"It's fine," Lena replied simply. She watched, trying to hide her amusement as Nia tugged off her sweater, leaving her standing there in a black t-shirt. "There's really no need."

"No, it's fine. This is my fault so I insist." Nia pushed her sweater into Lena's arms. "Your um...blouse is turning see-through."

Lena pressed the sweater close to her chest. Of course, the one day she'd left her blazer at home would be the day someone would spill coffee all over her.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts," Nia apologized again, guilt written across her face. "Wait...why are you here? Did you come to see Kara?"

Lena's mood soured at the mention of her ex-best friend's name. "You mean Supergirl? No. I had a meeting with Andrea, that's all."

"Oh…" Nia bit her lip and perched on the edge of the desk they were standing next to. She was relieved that there only seemed to be a few people in the office that early in the morning. Certainly, nobody who'd be interested in overhearing their conversation. "Kara told me she went to see you last night."

"Did she now?" Lena raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Nia sheepishly shrugged. A few weeks ago she wouldn't have felt so anxious around Lena but now that she knew Lena was angry with them she couldn't shake her nerves. "I asked her where she was and she told me. She's...she's sorry, you know. She feels terrible for what happened."

Lena shook her head slightly. "Sorry isn't good enough. She kept this from me for _years_. And yet...she told you after a few months, didn't she?"

"I-It's complicated. She was trying to help me."

Lena pursed her lips, staring intently at Nia for a moment. "I should be going. Thank you for the sweater."

"Of course." Nia quickly stood up as Lena started to walk away. "Lena!"

Lena turned to Nia. "Yes?"

"Kara being...you know who is a big deal. I get it." Nia stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her. "But it's not the most important thing about her. There are a million things more interesting about her than this. I don't think there's much you don't know."

Lena let herself think over that for a moment before she shook her head. "Have a good day, Nia."

Nia sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping.

Alex turned away from the screen she was staring at as she heard Kara land in the DEO behind her. "Anything?"

Kara grimly shook her head as she walked forward to meet Alex. "Just some debris. I didn't see anything else out of the ordinary."

Alex let out a heavy sigh and glanced back at the screen. "No evidence of where it came from? Nothing?"

"No," Kara replied sheepishly. She wished she could say more. "There doesn't seem to be anything that would cause this. Brainy?"

Brainy was staring at the screen intently from his seat. "I am in agreement with you. From what you described nothing seems to be especially unusual. Certainly, nothing to cause this...dark matter to seep through. Supergirl, you mentioned that you've seen something like this before?"

"Maybe. I don't know." Kara frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. "Not on this earth. Barry mentioned it a few times. But I don't see how it could have gotten through unless someone from his earth somehow traveled to this earth."

"We know it's possible," Alex said thoughtfully. "We've done it ourselves. But how would anyone get their hands on an extrapolator? Unless…"

Kara shook her head in response even as her heart rate quickened at the thought. "Barry is fine. He has to be."

"Barry?" Brainy questioned, raising an eyebrow at the conversation between the Danver's sisters.

"The Flash from Earth 1. He's…" Kara was cut off by the sudden sound of an alarm.

"BREACH!" Alex yelled, quickly drawing her gun. Around her, she heard agents unholstering their weapons. She held her gun up in front of her, slowly turning to scan the perimeter but as suddenly as the alarm had sounded again it fell silent.

"False alarm?" Brainy turned to his computer to run a security check, worry evident on his face. He hadn't noticed any issues with the system.

"A-Alex…"

Alex turned toward Kara. She noticed her sister was suddenly deathly pale and instinctively jumped to the conclusion that Kara had seen something nobody else had. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Kara drew her hand away from her stomach, shock evident on her pale face as she held it up.

Alex's gaze drifted to Kara's hand and a jolt of panic ran down her spine at the sight of blood dripping from Kara's fingers. Her eyes flicked to Kara's stomach and she inhaled sharply when she saw a circle of dark blood spreading out over Kara's suit, originating from a clear puncture in the supposedly impenetrable material.

Her gaze locked with Kara's wide, fear-filled blue eyes and for a moment Alex found herself glued to the spot, her heart in her throat. Kara started to fall forward though and Alex sprung into action, rushing to catch the Kryptonian before she hit the ground. Alex barely managed the catch Kara and she was forced to her knees from the impact of Kara falling against her chest.

"Alex." Kara choked out, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Alex..."

"I'm here. I'm here, Kara. I've got you." Alex pressed her hands to Kara's wound, struggling to stop the Kryptonian's bleeding.

Kara's eyes widened suddenly. "L-Lena." She hit her fist against the floor, trying in vain to push herself up. She barely managed to push herself up an inch before she collapsed back down, darkness forming at the corners of her vision. "She...She needs...me…"

"Kara!" Alex exclaimed, her own eyes flooded with tears as Kara's eyes fell shut. "Wake up! Supergirl!"

She looked up, looking around to find agents gaping at her. Even Brainy looked too beside himself to do anything. "Somebody get me a gurney! Brainy, help me get her to medical. Agent Dox!"

Brainy finally seemed to snap out of it and made to move forward only to stop as Kara seemed to disappear right in front of his eyes.

"KARA!" Alex fell forward into the pool of blood Kara had left behind, her arms suddenly empty.

-

Lena sighed softly, tapping her pen against her notebook. She needed to focus on her work yet her mind was constantly straying back to Kara Danvers. Supergirl. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept going back to the Kryptonian. Even something as simple as going for lunch led her to think about the many lunches she'd shared with Kara.

She set her pen down and leaned forward, bracing her elbows against her desk. She wearily rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. She needed to focus.

"Lena Luthor."

Lena flinched at the sound of a gruff voice saying her name. Her eyes flew open and she instinctively jerked back, pushing her chair back from her desk at the sight of the suited man standing in front of her. Lightning crackled around his body, seeming to emanate from him. "Oh my god."

The man gave a dark laugh. "That's right."

Lena swallowed thickly and reached into the pocket of her suit jacket, shakily gripping the watch. She gasped as a gust of wind whipped her hair up and the watch seemed to be torn from her hand. The stranger who'd stood in front of her reappeared again, a couple of steps from where he'd been before.

He held up the watch by the strap, inspecting it closely. He pushed the button himself before he dropped it to the floor, crushing it beneath his boot. "Don't worry. Supergirl won't be coming to your rescue."

Lena stood up on shaky legs, unconsciously counting the seconds until Kara showed up. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" The man held up his right hand and for the first time Lena noticed he was holding a knife, blood glistening on the blade. "A final gift from your brother."

Lena felt her heart sink at the comment. "You're lying."

Even as she said that she realized something was wrong. Kara should have been there by now. It had been almost a minute since the button had been pressed.

The speedster shook his head before he zoomed out of the room, white lightning trailing behind him. For a moment Lena felt relief at the fact that he'd left but after what could have only been five seconds he was back, unceremoniously dropping a limp Kara onto Lena's desk.

"You're welcome."

Lena was sure that her heart stopped as she saw the bloody wound on Kara's abdomen. She leaped forward, frantically pressing her hands against it to stem the bleeding. "Kara?! What the hell did you do to her?!"

"What you couldn't." The speedster answered, moving his hand to brush his lightning emitting fingers over Kara's hair. "Shame. She's a pretty one."

Lena lashed out automatically, slapping the man's hand away. "Don't fucking touch her!" She growled as tears prickled at her eyes.

The man stared at her for a long moment before he took his leave, running from the room in a flash of lightning.

"Kara?" Lena leaned over her desk, one hand going shakily to Kara's neck to seek out a pulse. She felt one, but faintly. "Kara, can you hear me?"

"Lena…" Kara rasped, the corners of her lips turning up for a split second.

"I'm right here, Kara. I'm…" Lena gasped as Kara started to seize on her desk. She quickly did what she could to hold Kara down, fumbling for her phone in her pocket. Tears tracking their way down her cheeks, she dialed a familiar number while trying not to let Kara throw her to the ground.

"Alex?! I need help!"

Kara would be okay. She _had_ to be okay.

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

Alex parted from J'onn as soon as her feet touched Lena's balcony. She raced through the open balcony door, her heart in her throat. She froze in place, her hand slipping away from where it had rested on her belt. J'onn bumped into her back and Alex would have stumbled had he not steadied her.

Lena looked up from where she was kneeling on the desk next to Kara, frantically performing CPR. Her face was flushed, strands of hair which had fallen from her usually pristine ponytail sticking to her cheeks.

Alex noticed Kara's wound had been sloppily bandaged up and spotted an open first aid kit lying on the floor, it's contents scattered around it.

"Sha started seizing," Lena said breathlessly as she pushed her clasped hands down against Kara's chest. "They stopped after 30 seconds or so. She's been down for 4 minutes, 19 seconds."

Alex finally managed to move, hurrying over to the other side of the desk. "Stop!" She ordered Lena who stopped what she was doing, panic and confusion written across her face.

Alex fumbled to find a pulse, pressing two fingers to Kara's neck. "Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! We need to get back to the DEO. I…" She looked around, struggling to figure out what to do. They needed something strong enough to start Kara's heart up again. She unholstered her gun, pointing it at Kara.

Lena's eyes widened and she instinctively stooped over Kara, shielding her. "ALEX!"

"Move," Alex ordered, her finger trembling on the trigger of her gun. Pointing a gun at her sister felt wrong but it was the only way. "J'onn!"

Lena felt arms go around her and she was dragged away from Kara with a gentle strength she was helpless to fight against. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try. She struggled to no avail as J'onn held her to his chest. "What are you doing?! You'll kill her!"

Alex took a breath. There wasn't much time. "Please forgive me, Kara." She squeezed the trigger, shooting a pulse of energy at Kara's chest. She saw it hit and saw the way it coursed through Kara's body in the form of spasms.

She quickly holstered her gun and rushed forward, fumbling for a pulse. Her knees almost buckled in relief when she found one. "She's alive. We have to get her to the DEO. J'onn?"

J'onn nodded and quickly made his way to Kara, carefully picking her up.

"Don't leave her alone," Alex warned him before he could leave. "I'll be there in ten minutes tops but don't leave her alone for a second. And keep her alive. Promise me!"

"I promise," J'onn said sincerely. He cast one last look between Alex and Lena before he turned and left with Kara.

Lena's bloody hands shook at her sides as she stared at Alex. "You'll have to drive us. I can provide a-a car."

"What?" Alex's brow furrowed in confusion. "You're coming with me?"

"Of course I am." Lena crossed her office to take her blazer from the back of her seat, trying hard not to look at her bloody desk where Kara had been lying a moment ago. "I'm still an asset to you. I can still help."

"But why…?" Alex followed Lena as the CEO made her way quickly to the door.

"Because it's K...because it's the right thing to do."

-

"What happened?!" Nia exclaimed as she sped into Kara's room. She froze at the sight of Kara lying unconscious on a flat table, sunlamps shining down on her from above. "Is she okay?!"

Alex looked up from where she was checking over Kara's vitals. Her eyes swept over Nia, taking note of the fact that her friend was in her suit. "She's going to be. The sunlamps are doing their job."

Nia's shoulders visibly slumped in relief and she made her way over to the side of the table Kara was lying on. "God…" She rubbed at her teary eyes with her hand, sniffling softly. "When Brainy told me what happened, I-I…"

Alex stared closely at Nia, noticing her struggle to stay composed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I was just...scared." Nia took a deep breath, trying to fight through her lingering panic. "Sorry, just...she's my mentor. My friend. When Brainy told me what happened, I-I thought she was going to…I care about her. A lot."

Alex managed a small smile at the comment. If there was one thing she could say about her sister, it was that she had a knack for making her way into people's hearts. Alex could attest to that herself. "Why are you suited up?"

"Oh...that." Nia blushed, glancing down at herself. "Well I was coming to the DEO and I wanted to be ready in case…"

"Can you please shut up?"

Alex and Nia both looked down in surprise in time to see Kara's eyes were open, just a little.

"Kara!" Nia exclaimed, reaching down to take Kara's hand. "You're awake!"

"Why does my head hurt?" Kara looked at Alex, her brow furrowed. "Actually…" She gritted her teeth as she tried to move. "Why does everything hurt?"

"You were attacked. By a speedster from the looks of it." Alex replied quietly, mindful of Kara's apparent headache. "You were stabbed with kryptonite. You don't remember?"

Kara's brow furrowed. "It's blurry. I remember you and...Lena?" She shook her head slightly. That couldn't be right. "You said it was a speedster?"

Alex nodded grimly. "The suit was different but do you think it could have been…?"

"No." Kara shook her head before Alex could finish what she was saying. "Barry would never hurt me. It has to be someone with the same abilities as him. Like at the wedding."

"I'll see if I can find anything else out." Alex leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of Kara's head. "Don't scare me like that again. I'm serious, Kara."

"No promises," Kara said with a slight smile as Alex straightened up again. "When can I get out of here?"

Alex sighed, shaking her head. "Kara…you have to stay under the sun lamps at least until your wound starts healing properly."

"Deal," Kara replied brightly. With some effort, she pushed herself up on her arms to look down at her wound. "It's almost…"

"No, it's not. Lie back down." Alex gently pushed at Kara's shoulder, forcing her to lay back. "Nia, if my sister even thinks about moving from this bed you have my permission to restrain her in any way you see fit."

Kara pouted.

"So uh...who's Barry?" Nia asked, deciding to intervene before the sisters could start to bicker. "An alien?"

"A friend. He's from Earth 1. I'll introduce you when I have a chance. He's great. Oh, Oliver too!"

"Right. Wait, Earth what?"

Alex rolled her eyes and turned to head toward the door, electing to leave Kara to explain that one.

Lena stared at the monitor in front of her, watching on the camera as Alex walked out of the room. She watched Nia perch on the edge of Kara's makeshift bed and frowned when she noticed Nia was still clutching Kara's hand. A familiar feeling of envy washed over her and she forced herself to look away, only to look back a second later.

Nia and Kara seemed to be chatting idly, the former looking somewhat confused as Kara spoke. Lena's eyes flicked toward their hands again and she vaguely wondered whether herself and Kara had ever held hands for that long. She quickly brushed the thought off. It was ridiculous, to be jealous of Kara's friendship with Nia. She was the one who'd decided she could never be friends with Kara again.

"I thought I'd find you hiding in here."

Lena jumped with a startled gasp, knocking the mouse from the desk she was sitting at as she whirled around to see Alex walking toward her. "Don't DO that! How did you manage to get here so quickly?"

"Jumpy?" Alex raised an eyebrow at Lena's alarm and stopped next to her, looking over her shoulder. "You could just go and see her, you know. Instead of watching from here. I'm sure she'd like to see you. And know what you did for her."

"We both know that's not going to happen." Lena's voice was cold once more as she turned back to the monitor. "And I'm not hiding from anyone."

"Besides Kara?" Alex asked gently. She held up her hands when Lena glared at her. "Sorry. I was just going to review the security footage again to see if we can find anything out about this speedster if you want to stay and help?"

Lena sighed. She knew that Alex was trying but she couldn't bring herself to do the same. Not after everything that had happened. "The speedster's name is Godspeed."

"What?" Alex exclaimed in surprise. "How do you know that?!"

"He told me when he came to my office. That's all I know." Lena stood up, straightening out the blazer she'd put on over her bloody shirt. "He said he was sent by Lex. Most likely before I...shot him. He said it was a final gift from my brother."

"Lex tried to kill Supergirl...for you?" Alex asked slowly.

The words hit Lena like a punch to the stomach but she did her best not to show it. "I suppose. That's all I know. You're welcome to the security footage at L-Corp of course. If you feel it would help."

"Yeah…" Alex frowned as she watched Lena walk away. She was sure there was more to it than that but she didn't want to push. Not yet.

Kara had just settled on the couch, cradling a hot mug of tea in her hands when there was a knock at the door to her apartment.

"Come in!" She called, figuring Alex had forgotten something. Her sister had only left about thirty minutes ago, at Kara's insistence that she would be fine. There was a moment of silence before another knock came.

Kara whimpered at the thought of getting up. Every movement seemed to tug at her stitches, sending a throb of pain coursing through her. It was easing slowly so Kara figured her healing ability should kick in by tomorrow.

Another knock came at the door and Kara cursed internally at the impact the kryptonite she'd been stabbed with was having on her. She couldn't even use her x-ray vision to check who was on the other side of the door.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Kara carefully stood up from the couch, tentatively placing her mug down as she did so. She walked slowly to the door, pulling it open with a sigh. "It was open, Ale…" She trailed off, her eyes widening when she found Lena standing on the other side of the doorway. "Lena?"

"Can I come in?" Lena didn't wait for an answer before she brushed past Kara, walking into the apartment. "You really shouldn't leave your door unlocked."

Kara shut her door, making sure to lock it this time. "I didn't expect to see you."

"I need to clear some things up." Lena gestured for Kara to sit down on the couch and the weakened hero did so without hesitation, wincing a little at the throb of pain it caused. "I didn't attack you with kryptonite, nor did I provide anyone with kryptonite so they could attack you."

"I know," Kara replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "You didn't have to come here to tell me that."

"Oh." Lena blinked in surprise at the immediate response. "I just wanted to get that out in the open. So there's no misunderstanding." She shifted slightly, glancing at the door like she was thinking about leaving.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked quickly, trying to keep Lena in the same room with her for as long as possible.

Lena laughed despite herself. "You were stabbed with kryptonite and you're asking _me_ if I'm okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine. See…" Kara stood up, tugging up her shirt to reveal the small bandaged wound on her stomach.

Lena glanced over to Kara. She saw the bandage but that wasn't what caused her to look away. She willed herself not to blush or look back at the ripple of abs beneath Kara's skin. "Um...well I'm fine then. Sit down before you…" She inhaled sharply at the gentle hand suddenly touching her cheek, guiding her to look forward again. She found Kara standing in front of her and gaped at her in surprise.

"I miss you," Kara said earnestly, her voice soft. "I miss you like hell. And I know it's my fault. All of this is my fault but the thought of never being your friend again scares me more than any kryptonite or maniac who wants to kill me. I'm a coward, I'm not perfect but I love you. You're my best friend."

"I didn't want you to be perfect, Kara. Just honest." Lena swallowed thickly and cursed herself for the way her eyes misted over. She lifted her hand to Kara's, intending to push it away but clutched it lightly instead. Her eyes locked with Kara's and she watched the look in Kara's eyes change. There was something off about it, something that Lena felt the need to question. "What…?" Her eyes widened as Kara leaned in suddenly, pressing their lips together.

She couldn't say that she'd never imagined Kara kissing her before. She most definitely had but this was not what she'd imagined. She'd assumed that Kara would be careful and tentative. Unsure, even. She would lean in and pause midway before she would finally gather the courage to gently kiss Lena. It would be Lena herself who would have to cup the back of Kara's neck to keep her from pulling away.

As much as she knew that she should pull away, Lena couldn't deny how much she'd wanted this. For the longest time. She kissed Kara back, her senses overwhelmed by the woman holding her. The smell of her skin, the touch of her lips and the way Kara tugged her closer by her hips, boldly pressing their fronts together.

Lena wasn't sure when she lifted her arms but suddenly they were wrapped around Kara's neck, holding her as close as she could. She whimpered softly as Kara's tongue slipped into her mouth, reminding her again of how bold Kara's behavior suddenly was.

It was wrong, something was wrong despite how right it all felt. Lena pulled back only for Kara to keep hold of her. Squeaking in surprise, Lena shoved hard at Kara's chest, sending her stumbling back.

Kara clutched her chest for a moment, her blue eyes pained.

"Kara…" Lena looked at her hands, then at Kara. She was stunned that she'd even managed to budge the Kryptonian, let alone almost shove her to the ground. "Did I hurt you?"

"A little." Kara lowered her hand from her chest, her eyes steely once more. "You can do it again if you want."

Lena swallowed thickly at the suggestion. "What are we doing? W-What are _you_ doing?"

"Being honest," Kara replied, taking a small step forward. "I want you, Lena. And I think you want me too."

Lena willed herself to take a step back but her feet felt as though they were glued to the floor as Kara slowly advanced on her. "Kara, stop."

Kara did as she was told, stopping a couple of inches from Lena. "When you look at me do you really only see Supergirl? Can't I just be Kara Danvers? Just for a little while?"

Lena bit her lip as she watched Kara closely, the sickening memories of almost losing her coming back to her. She stepped toward Kara' gripping the hem of the blonde's shirt. She tugged it up and off with little resistance from Kara.

Kara's breath caught as Lena's fingers drifted down her chest and over her stomach until they reached the edge of the bandage over her wound.

"Tell me again," Lena whispered. "What you told me last week in my apartment. Say it again."

Kara's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment as she thought back to when she'd last been in Lena's apartment. She had been drunk, she remembered that much. "I told you you're my best friend and…"

"And?" Lena peeled off her jacket, letting it drop to the floor. Kara's eyes followed it before flicking up the Lena's once more.

"And I love you."

Lena's heart tightened at the comment. "Say it again."

"I love you."

"Agai…" Lena was cut off as Kara kissed her hard. Desperately. Lena closed her eyes, kissing Kara back without thinking about it. Her hands threaded into Kara's wavy hair and she deepened the kiss, pressing her tongue into Kara's mouth. Kara whimpered and Lena felt a wave of heat wash over her. She'd done that.

Kara parted from Lena, breathlessly kissing her way to the underside of Lena's jaw, down to her neck. "I love you, Lena Luthor. Let me show you. _Please_."

Lena gasped softly, her eyes fluttering shut. "Yes."

When Kara kissed her again, it felt right. Like it was always meant to be this way for the two of them. Deep down, Lena knew that everything wasn't okay between them. But for a while, she could let herself pretend.

-

Kara closed her eyes as Lena's head fell to her shoulder. For a couple of minutes, the only sound in the room was that of their mixed breathing, heavy and erratic until finally it slowed and quietened.

Kara opened her eyes, glancing to her right at Lena. The CEO's head was still cushioned on Kara's right bicep and her eyes were half-closed. Kara's gaze wandered over Lena's bare form and she watched goosebumps spring to Lena's pale skin. She used her free hand to tug her blankets over Lena, ignoring the slight throb in her side.

Lena flinched slightly at the movement. "I'm not staying."

"I know," Kara said in response, her voice raspier than Lena had ever heard it. "I won't ask you to. Even though I don't want you to leave."

Lena let out a slow breath and tugging the blankets to her chest, she slowly turned onto her side. With her head still pillowed on Kara's bicep, she examined the Kryptonian's face closely. Kara's cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the ceiling.

Kara seemed to feel Lena staring at her and turned her head, locking eyes with the other woman. "Are you okay?"

Lena felt a wave of relief at the question. Something about the way Kara had been acting had felt wrong. Different. But that question was so Kara Danvers. She hummed slightly in response and carefully put her arm around Kara's waist. "I'll leave when my legs won't give out beneath me"

Kara smiled softly at the sentiment. "I don't feel much stronger at the minute."

"Obviously." Lena eyed the mark she'd left on Kara's collarbone only a short while ago. "You almost seem normal right now."

"I am normal," Kara replied earnestly. She cautiously rolled onto her side to face Lena, being careful not to dislodge Lena's head on her arm or the arm around her waist. "There's barely any Super in me right now. I'm just Kara."

Lena let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes. She almost wished this had happened before Kara had told her the truth about who she was. Maybe she would have been more forgiving. Or maybe it would have hurt more. She felt the whisper of a kiss to her lips and opened her eyes, finding Kara's face inches from her own.

"I should go," Lena whispered.

Kara hummed softly in response and closed her eyes.

Lena shuffled closer, her arm sliding up Kara's back until her hand rested between the Kryptonian's shoulder blades. She could let herself have just a few minutes before she left, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. It wasn't as though this would ever happen again.

-

Lena whimpered in protest as she was dragged into consciousness. She wasn't sure what was waking her but she wanted it to stop. She moved deeper under the thicker than usual duvet she was sleeping under, only to freeze in realization. She was at Kara's house. She peeked her head out from under the blankets and squinted blearily into the bedroom, hoping she hadn't been sleeping for too long. Waking up the next morning in Kara's bed, with _Kara naked_ next to her would be too confusing.

She was relieved to find that it was still dark in the bedroom but that relief was quickly washed away when she glanced in Kara's direction only to find her curled into a ball beneath the blankets, shivering uncontrollably.

"Kara?" Lena quickly shuffled closer and reached out, touching Kara's arm. She inhaled sharply. Kara was warm to the touch. "Kara, what's wrong? Tell me what's happening!"

"S-So cold." Kara managed to speak through chattering teeth. "Everything is...hurting. Lena…" She buried her head in her pillow, a sharp sob escaping her throat.

Lena swallowed thickly. She wasn't sure what she could do for Kara, as unprepared as she was. The thought terrified her. "Do you want me to call Alex?"

"No." Kara shook her head quickly only to stop, grimacing at the pain it caused. She looked up at Lena through teary, red eyes. "Yes. Please."

"Alright, just wait here." Lena brushed Kara's hair back from her forehead and placed a gentle kiss there. She was too worried to think about what she was doing and Kara looked so scared that Lena instinctively wanted to comfort her.

Kara's hand shot out and she grabbed Lena's wrist, keeping her from getting up. "Don't leave."

Lena looked down at the hand gripping her wrist. The grip was weak, even for a normal human. Alarmingly weak for a Kryptonian. "Alright, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to get dressed."

Kara nodded and Lena gently prised Kara's fingers from around her wrist, setting her hand on the bed. She noticed Kara's phone and called Alex as she moved quickly around the bedroom, grabbing a pair of Kara's sweats and her old national city university sweatshirt. The call went through to voicemail and Lena sighed as she tugged the sweats on. She glanced over at Kara. She didn't want to leave her alone while she went to look for her own clothes which must have been scattered around the apartment. She was sure Kara wouldn't mind her borrowing something though.

Before Lena had a chance to call Alex back, the phone rang and Alex's name appeared on the screen.

"I know I said to call if you change your mind about pizza night but I'm in bed, Kara…"

"Alex, it's Lena." Lena interrupted before Alex could say anything else. She hated that she was about to tell Alex yet again that something was wrong with her sister. As angry and hurt as she was at the sisters she still didn't want to hurt them, at least not with each other. "Kara's sick. I need you to come over, she needs you."

"Sick?" The grogginess which had laced Alex's voice was gone instantly, replaced by alert panic. "Sick how?!"

Lena quickly made her way back to the Kara. "I don't know, she's burning up and she says she's in some kind of pain. I'm not sure what's wrong with her but you need to get here." She didn't give Alex a chance to say anything else, choosing to hang the phone up instead. She tossed it to the side as she perched on the edge of the bed, gently brushing Kara's hair from her sweaty forehead. "Alex is on her way, Kara."

Kara's eyes flew open as if she'd been woken suddenly. She relaxed when her eyes fell upon Lena. A weak smile tugged at her lips. "You look good in my clothes."

Lena forced a smile in response, not wanting Kara to see how worried she was. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Kara replied. Her eyes drifted over Lena's shoulder, widening slightly and she wrenched one arm free from her blankets, grabbing Lena's arm to drag her closer.

"What…?" Lena glanced over her shoulder in time to see a breach appear a few feet away.

"Something's coming," Kara said through gritted teeth as she tried to push herself up. "Help me up."

"Kara, I…" Before Lena could ask how Kara would fight in her condition, two figures stepped through the portal just before it closed. Lena breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Alex and Kelly standing there. Kara slumped back down onto the bed.

"What's going on?" Alex moved toward Kara, crouching down next to the bed as Kelly hurried to turn the lights on. She gently brushed her hand over Kara's sweaty forehead, pushing her hair back from her face. "Hey…"

Kara managed a smile at Alex's gentle tone. "I don't feel good, Alex…"

"I know…" Alex looked Kara over, her brow furrowing slightly at her sister's state of undress. She glanced back at Lena. "What the hell happened?"

"She was like this when I woke up," Lena answered worriedly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "She said she's in pain. She has a fever, Alex."

"A fever, pain…" Alex mumbled to herself. "Kara, I need to move your blankets, okay?"

Kara whined at the thought. "Alex…"

"I know. Just for a second, I promise." Alex said softly. Teary blue eyes met her own and Alex felt her heart sink. She hated seeing Kara in pain. She waited for a consenting nod before she moved Kara's blanket down, stopping just below her wound.

Kelly averted her eyes to give Kara her privacy while Lena stepped forward to see what Alex was doing, seemingly unfazed by Kara's nudity.

"What do you think it is?" Kelly asked in concern.

Alex didn't answer. She carefully pulled Kara's bandage back to see purple tendrils spreading out from Kara's almost healed wound. She swore under her breath. She'd known it was too soon to let Kara go but her sister had pleaded with her. She quickly tucked the blankets around Kara again before she turned to Lena. "We have to take her to the DEO. I can't treat her here." She brushed past Lena to dig through Kara's closet for something warm for her to wear.

Lena perched on the bed next to Kara, gently stroking her hair. "An infection?"

Alex reappeared with a heap of clothes in her arms. "I don't know. Help me get her dressed. I need you to sit behind her and support her while I do this."

Lena nodded, trying not to think of the fear she saw in Alex's eyes. In the way she fumbled as she moved to help Kara up. In the way Alex's eyes glassed over with tears as Kara leaned into her, mumbling about her warmth. "Alex?"

"This hasn't happened before," Alex explained, blinking away her tears as Lena settled in behind Kara. "This is...new. I don't know how to fix this."

Lena wished she hadn't asked.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all of the comments/reviews, guys. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

/

Kara closed her eyes, basking in the warmth emanating from the sunlamps above her. They were soothing, she had to admit. Almost as soothing as the feeling of Lena's hand holding onto her own. She wasn't sure what was going on but she didn't want to let go of Lena for a second.

Lena suddenly cleared her throat. "What do you want me to tell your sister about what happened last night?"

Kara turned her head, her brow furrowing as she looked at Lena. "I don't know? Everything's just a little fuzzy right now."

Lena sighed at the response though she wasn't surprised that Kara wasn't fully lucid. "Alright." She said, giving the hand in her own a careful squeeze. "I'll figure it out."

Kara managed a tiny smile. "Thank you, Lena."

Lena was silent for a long moment as Kara's eyes fluttered shut again. Part of her wanted to leave because she wasn't sure she was ready to forgive Kara. The other half refused to budge from Kara's side. She let the silence settle between them as she mulled over what she should do. She didn't want Kara to get the wrong idea but she wasn't even sure what the wrong idea was.

Hearing footsteps behind her she looked up to see Alex walk into the room, Brainy and Nia right behind her.

"What's wrong?" Lena asked, immediately noticing the looks on Alex and Nia's faces. "What's going on?"

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Alex gestured for Lena to come closer to her so they could speak in private.

Lena hesitated, eyeing Alex warily before she nodded. She turned back to Kara, lightly stroking her free hand over soft blonde hair. A small smile tugged at Kara's lips but she didn't open her eyes. "I'll be right back, Kara."

Kara whimpered as Lena's hand disappeared from her own but she didn't protest.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea," Lena said when she reached Alex. "I'm staying until I know Supergirl is okay and then I'm leaving, okay? This doesn't make us…" She paused, noticing the guilt on Alex's face. "What's happening?"

"Go ahead, Brainy," Alex said quietly as she stepped around Lena.

Lena frowned as she turned to see what Alex was doing. She inhaled sharply in surprise as a barrier appeared around Kara, not dissimilar to the barrier she herself had used for Sam. "Director Danvers, what are you doing?"

Kara pushed herself up on the table, her eyes wide. "Alex!"

"I'm sorry, Kara." Alex's voice cracked as she spoke. She moved to the barrier as Kara pushed herself off her makeshift bed and stumbled toward it. "This is for your own good. It's going to be okay, I promise."

Kara pressed her hand against the barrier separating her from the others. "Y-You're locking me up?"

Alex pressed her hand against Kara's, separated by the barrier. "You're…"

"Director Danvers!"

Alex gritted her teeth and turned as one of her agents burst into the room. "Yes?"

"We have a hit on the speedster." The agent said breathlessly as he glanced between the imprisoned Kryptonian and Alex, clearly wondering what was going on.

Alex sighed and turned back to Kara. "We'll talk more when I get back."

"You're going after him?!" Kara gaped at Alex. "Alex, you can't, that's crazy!"

"I'll be okay. Get some rest, Kara." Alex touched her hand to the barrier once more before she forced herself to walk away. "Dreamer, with me. Lena, don't even think about trying to get her out. I'll explain everything when I get back."

"Alex!" Kara exclaimed as she watched her sister walk away from her. "You need me for this, you can't go alone! At least take J'onn with you! ALEX!" She pounded her fist against the barrier as Alex and Nia left the room. "Damn it! DAMN IT!" She pressed her forehead to the barrier, her breathing heavy. Alex was going to die, all because Kara was trapped. Because she was weak.

Lena hurried to the barrier, tentatively touching the glass-like surface. "Try to calm down, I-I'm going to find a way to get you out of there."

"I believe that's precisely what the director asked you not to do." Brainy piped up from behind them as he took a step closer.

Lena glanced at him, narrowing her eyes. "I don't take orders from Director Danvers."

"Lena." Kara pressed her hand to the surface of the barrier, over Lena's. Her fingers scraped against the glass like she was trying to grasp Lena's hand. "Please let me out."

Lena's breath hitched, her mind drifting back to a time when she'd locked Kara inside a smaller prison than this, back in the fortress of solitude. She hadn't known then, that Kara was claustrophobic. She'd had no idea.

Brainy cleared his throat. "Supergirl has none of her abilities at the present time. If you release her, she will go to join the fight alongside Director Danvers. By my calculations, there's a 76 percent chance that she'll be injured and an 18 percent chance that she'll be killed."

Lena gritted her teeth. She knew it was the right call, as much as she didn't want to be agreeing with Alex. "I'm sorry, Kara."

Kara's lower lip trembled at the realization that she wasn't going to get out. "Are you leaving?"

Lena hesitated for a moment before she answered. "No. I should wait for your sister to get back. Save her storming into my office later to interrogate me."

"Right." Kara breathed out, relieved that Lena wasn't leaving at the very least. "I need to...sit…" She sat down on the floor, leaning against the pane of 'glass' she was stuck behind.

Lena glanced at Brainy and he seemed to take that as his cue to leave.

"I'll be back as soon as we have news." He called over his shoulder as he left the room.

Lena felt herself relax, just a little as the pressure of having yet another person she was angry with in the same room as her lifted. She looked down at Kara, her brow furrowing as she tried to work out whether she was still angry at the blonde hero. She was, deep down, but her concern outweighed that.

She carefully sat down on the other side of the barrier, leaning against where Kara was sitting on the other side of the barrier. "Alex is going to be fine."

Kara gave a tiny nod in response. "Thank you, Lena."

-

"GODSPEED!"

Godspeed couldn't help but let a small smirk creep onto his face at the sound of the DEO's director calling his name, anger as clear as day in her voice. He had to admit that he was impressed by their dispatch time. They'd taken only four minutes to get to where he was since he first appeared in the middle of the road. "Director Danvers I assume?"

"Surround him." Alex ordered, signaling for the group of DEO agents with her to circle around the speedster. She waited until all of her agents were in position before raising her pistol in unison with the agents raising their own. "You're coming with us."

"No. I'm not." Godspeed turned around so he was finally facing the head of the DEO. He was surprised to find that J'onn J'onzz was with the humans as well as the costumed woman he only knew as Dreamer. He didn't care about the costumed girl but he thought the Martian Manhunter would have been positioned at Supergirl's side, acting as a bodyguard for the injured Kryptonian.

"I'm only going to ask once more." Alex's eyes narrowed as she took a step forward, the agents with her following her lead a moment after. J'onn moved too but stayed a few steps behind Alex, ready to react to any attack from the speedster. "Come with us peacefully or we will take you down."

"Will you?" Godspeed asked, trying his best to keep himself from laughing but to no avail. Lex had told him that the Danvers sister would come after him with everything she had and it looked as if he was right. "Then come try it."

"You'll pay for what you did to Supergirl…" Nia barely got her words out before she Godspeed's foot slammed hard into her gut with more than enough force to send her flying backward into the floor behind her, knocking her unconscious.

"Shhh. The adults are talking." Godspeed smugly proclaimed before he turned his attention back to the head of the DEO. "My apologies. You were saying?"

"DREAMER!" Alex snarled, her gun pointed towards the speedster's head. She had seen enough of the people she cared about getting hurt. "I gave you your chance."

"And look where it got you. One down." Godspeed smirked as she heard the DEO Director growl with anger.

Alex took in a deep breath as she tried her best to keep her emotions in check. She knew full well that the speedster was trying to get under her skin.

"Open fire!" She squeezed the trigger of her gun, firing at the man in front of her.

Godspeed looked around at the circle of DEO agents surrounding him, white lightning crackling from his body. Alex blinked and in an instant, all of the DEO agents were on the ground, blood gushing from their throats. Nobody besides herself even had a chance to pull the trigger. "Damn it!"

"You're next, Director Danvers." Godspeed studied his blood-covered hand before he looked at Alex again. He wasn't surprised to see J'onn step in front of Alex as a guard. Lex also told him that the Director of the DEO and Supergirl were like family to the Green Martian, like daughters. "Wait your turn, Martian."

Alex flinched as white lightning bolted past her, grabbing J'onn J'onzz and knocking her gun from her hand on the way past.

"J'ONN!" Alex yelled, turning towards where the lightning lead. She tried to grab at it but only succeeded in grabbing at the air and stumbling forward.

Again someone she cared about was hurt in front of her and she was powerless to stop it. Feeling a presence behind her, she spun around in time to see Godspeed standing next to her. "You wanted me. Here I am!"

Godspeed rolled his eyes, easily dodging the DEO director's punch like it was moving at the speed of a statue. He slashed his phasing hand towards her neck in the same way he did with the other DEO agents but his eyes widened in shock as his hand was blasted away from her as soon as it made contact, sending him flying backward through the air. He landed hard on the ground but quickly scrambled back to his feet. "What the hell was that?"

"Protection. A gift from Star Labs." Alex grinned as she watched Godspeed's connection to the speed force fade away. It was the same gadget each of the DEO agents had as well as J'onn and Nia but they had the chance to activate theirs. Alex rushed forward, her fist colliding hard with the white speedsters masked face but it barely did anything. It looked as if he had been through some kind of training of his own.

Godspeed stepped to the side, flipping Alex over him before he started feeling his connection to the speed force return. He immediately backed away from the DEO Director, trying to think of a plan for her armor. He had never seen anything like it before. It meant that he couldn't physically touch her until he figured out where the shield came from.

Alex threw punch after punch as Godspeed ran circled around her in the hope to catch him off guard again. She wished he was cut off from the speed force for longer than a few minutes but it was the best she had. "What did you do to J'onn?!"

Godspeed stopped a safe distance away from her, a smile on his face. "The Martian? I threw him into a wall of ice in the arctic at mach 6 speeds. I doubt he's dead but he won't be coming to your rescue for a while. Long enough for me to deal with you."

Alex flinched as Godspeed started to run circles in front of her, throwing a white lightning bolt at her waist. She froze in horror as the shield protecting her faded away due to the damage it took from the lightning bolt. Alex barely had time to look up before Godspeed had hold of her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. She could feel her lungs being emptied of air with no way to refill them and she clawed at the speedster's hands, trying to prise them from her throat.

"AGH!" Godspeed cried out in pain, dropping the almost asphyxiated Alex to the floor. Alex gasped for breath, her hands going to her throat. She stared at Godspeed who was too busy trying to find where he was attacked from to notice anything else.

Alex's confusion was quickly cleared up when the Green Arrow landed on the floor a short distance away from her and Godspeed, his bow immediately drawn and ready to fire. "Green Arrow, Run!"

"It's too late for that!" Godspeed froze, forced to do a double-take as he fell forward instead of using his speed. He quickly caught himself and looked up in a state of panic. "W-what happened to me?"

"Upgraded nanites. Courtesy of Star Labs and my wife." Oliver smiled as he lowered his bow, passing it to his other hand so he could fight with it instead of shooting with it. "You won't be speeding around for a while."

Godspeed quickly tried to start phasing his body but nothing happened. He remembered that was how the Reverse-Flash used to get foreign items out of his body but for some reason, it wasn't working for him. "Damn it."

"Phasing won't work." Oliver took a few steps to the side, crouching down beside the unconscious Nia to make sure she was still breathing. He let out a sigh of relief when he quickly found her pulse. "Give it up."

"Never!" Godspeed growled in anger at the Emerald Archer. His plan was falling apart. All he was supposed to do was take out the head of the DEO but he'd wasted so much time. Dealing with Dreamer, The Martian Manhunter _and_ The Green Arrow wasn't part of the deal. He couldn't even run away anymore. "Damn you."

Godspeed lunged forward and swung his fist towards the Green Arrow, hitting nothing but air as Oliver stepped to the side, planting his knee into the speedster's gut before he slammed his bow into Godspeed's face with enough force to whirl the speedster around towards Alex who'd gotten to her feet.

Alex quickly took her chance and slammed her fist into Godspeed's face, knocking him to the floor before Oliver fired an arrow at him that covered him in a net. "Thanks for the assist, Oliver...but what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story. Are you okay?" Oliver asked as he noticed blood on Alex's face and the choke marks on her neck. He had to admit that he had no idea just how good Alex Danvers was. He sure as hell wouldn't have tried taking on a speedster by himself after the short fight he'd had with Barry.

Alex nodded slowly, wiping the blood from her face with her sleeve. She wasn't even sure how it had gotten there. It wasn't hers. "I'm fine, thanks. So why exactly are you on my earth?"

"I don't know." Oliver shrugged. He didn't agree to come to Earth-38 in the first place but he was happy he was there. He knew almost everything about Barry and Barry knew almost everything about him but he knew barely anything about his other friend, something he wanted to fix while he was there. "The Monitor appeared in my house and teleported me here with my gear. Where's Kara?"

"She's at the DEO. She's been hurt." She could immediately tell that Oliver was taken aback by the news, probably assuming that Supergirl was indestructible. "Godspeed ran into the DEO and stabbed her with a Kryptonite blade. You should...come and see her."

"Okay." Oliver nodded before picking up the unconscious Nia. "I'm assuming she's one of yours considering the way she's dressed?"

Alex couldn't help but feel guilty as soon as Oliver picked up her friend's body. She was supposed to keep her and J'onn safe but she'd completely failed. She hoped J'onn was okay. "Yes. Her name is Dreamer."

"Dreamer? Is that why she's unconscious?" Oliver inquired with a puzzled smile, something that would have been rare to see on his face a year or two ago. He guessed Mia and William's presence was good for him.

Alex rolled her eyes. "It's not her real name. Just…" She paused as she turned back to the bloody carnage behind her. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. "I have to make a call. I'll meet you in the car. It's along the road."

Oliver's eyes followed Alex's pointing finger to three SUV's along the road. Assuming it didn't matter which one he chose, he nodded and began carrying Nia to the car.

Alex gritted her teeth as she stared at the bodies around her. She'd gone into the field with eight agents and she'd managed to protect none of them. Feeling her eyes prickle with tears she quickly ran a hand over her face and pulled her phone out. There would be time for that later.  
-

"She should be here by now. Why isn't she back?"

Lena crossed her arms in front of her chest, watching Kara pacing back and forth in what Kara had deemed as her bubble. "I'm sure everything's fine. She could be stuck in traffic."

"Alex doesn't get stuck in traffic!" Kara snapped irritably. She stopped, her stomach sinking as she turned to Lena. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just...worried about Alex and I feel so helpless being stuck in here and…"

"You don't need to explain anything to me." Lena interrupted before Kara could really start ranting. "I understand."

Kara sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm really screwing this up."

Lena raised an eyebrow in response. "Screwing what up exactly?"

Kara stepped closer to the barrier separating them. "I mean...you seem to be talking to me again a-and I don't want to make any assumptions but that has to be a good thing, right? I don't expect you to forgive me or forget what I did to you but it makes me happy that you're talking to me again." She grimaced slightly at the way that sounded. "And now you probably feel pressured and...I'm moving too fast, right?"

"I don't think anything could be moving too fast after what we did last night." Lena quipped, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah, I...wait." Kara's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I…?" Lena trailed off as Kara's gaze drifted over her shoulder, her expression brightening.

"Alex, you're okay!" Kara's voice was dripping with relief as she stepped slightly to the side so she wasn't right in front of Lena. "Oliver? What are you doing here?"

"Long story." Oliver answered with a slight shake of his head. "Are you okay? Alex told me you were hurt."

"Oh…" Kara's hand drifted to her stomach. "Yeah. I'm feeling better. I don't know why I'm locked in this _bubble_."

Alex sighed at the pointed look Kara shot her. "Just a precaution. We've found out that you were stabbed with a fusion of kryptonite...a mixture of periwinkle kryptonite and silver kryptonite."

"Periwinkle?" Kara frowned in confusion.

"According to Brainy it causes...a loss of inhibitions. Which explains your recent behavior." Alex awkwardly cleared her throat. "I'd like to monitor you for at least the next 48 hours or until we're sure the kryptonite is out of your system. It's important Kara. Please."

Kara huffed in annoyance. "You know I hate the bubble…"

"I know. It's not for long, I promise." Alex heard her phone beep and took it from her pocket, glancing at it. "Sorry, I...we lost some agents in the field. I need to notify their families."

"Wait, what happened to you neck?!" Kara exclaimed, noticing the bruises around Alex's throat. "Did you get hurt? Where are J'onn and Nia?"

"I just…" Alex was cut off by her phone ringing. "I really have to take this, Kara. Oliver will explain what he can and I'll be back in an hour. I promise. Just...sit tight" She forced a smile before she turned and hurried from the room.

Kara turned her focus to Oliver as he walked closer. "Are J'onn and Nia okay?"

"Nia is...Dreamer?" Oliver asked. He waited for Kara to nod before he continued. "She's fine. She took a hit to the head but she'll be okay. J'onn...I'm not sure. Alex said Godspeed took him somewhere and...threw him into an ice wall?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Anyway, he's alive."

"Right." Kara sighed in relief though she couldn't help but still feel troubled by the news. "It's good to see you. I would hug you but…" She lightly rapped on the solid barrier and Oliver nodded in response. "Oh! Um...Oliver, this is Lena Luthor. Lena, this is Oliver Queen."

"Luthor?" Oliver frowned.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Lena observed.

"Oh! Not that Luthor. The good Luthor." Kara hastened to explain. She smiled broadly as Lena glanced at her in surprise. "The best Luthor. I told you about her, remember?"

"Oh." Oliver held out his hand to Lena. "Well in that case it's nice to meet you, Miss Luthor."

"Likewise." Lena shook his hand briefly before letting go. "I take it you're a friend of Kara's?"

"You could say that."

"Hey!" Kara pouted at the remark.

"I'm kidding, Kara. Of course we're friends." Oliver shook his head in amusement. "Even if we do live on different earths."

Lena did a double-take. "Sorry, you what?"

"Long story. I'll explain later." Kara answered quickly. "So how long are you staying? You're not leaving right away, are you? We have to catch up! And I have to show you around the city!"

Lena watched the two, a sickening feeling of jealousy creeping up on her as she watched Oliver laugh at Kara's questions. She remembered when Kara used to get that excited over seeing her. Or their lunch dates. She cleared her throat before Oliver could reply. "I should be getting to work. I have some things I need to take care of."

Kara's face dropped at the comment. "You're leaving? But what about Alex?"

"I'll come back later." Lena replied, keeping her gaze fixed to Kara. She could feel the archer's eyes on her, watching her closely. She knew why. He didn't trust her. That much was obvious from his earlier comment. She watched Kara nervously bite her lip. "I'll stop by. I'll bring takeout for you, okay?"

Kara sighed softly. "You won't be able to get it in the bubble."

"Right…" Lena frowned at the barrier separating them. "I'll figure something out. I will be back though, I promise."

Kara nodded. "I'll see you later then."

Oliver watched as Lena walked quickly towards the door and out of the room. He turned his gaze back to Kara whose shoulders were slumped in defeat. "What's going on there?"

"It's...a long story."

"Seems to be the theme of today." Oliver said quietly. He watched Kara pout for a moment before he continued. "Did I tell you I met my daughter from the future?"

"What?!" Kara's eyes widened in surprise. "Wha…? How? You have a _daughter_? What's her name? What is she like? You have to tell me everything!"

Oliver gave a soft laugh at Kara's response. He had expected as much. "It's a long story. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Kara hesitated for a moment before she nodded and sat down on the floor, cross legged. She gestured to the floor on the other side of the bubble. "Pull up a chair."

-

Alex looked up at the sound of a soft knock on the conference room door. Her brow furrowed slightly when she noticed Lena. She gestured for the CEO to enter the room and Lena did so, closing the door behind her. "What can I help you with?"

"I figured you'd have some questions for me." Lena answered simply as she stepped toward the table. She skimmed her fingers over the back of one of the chairs but she didn't sit down. "About what happened with Kara."

"I don't have any questions at the minute." Alex answered, watching Lena closely. "Besides...maybe one."

"You want to know who, besides me, could create a kryptonite fusion." Lena had known the question was coming but it still stung when Alex nodded her head. "And you want to know if I made the weapon she was stabbed with."

"I have to consider it." Alex answered hesitantly. "You were angry enough at Kara to steal myriad. And to imprison her in kryptonite."

Lena scoffed at the comment. "I wanted to hurt Supergirl, not kill her. I told you that. Why would I want her dead? We both know what would happen to the city without her. Is that all you need to ask me?"

"What are you doing with my sister?" Alex got to her feet for the first time since Lena had walked into the room. She watched surprise flit across Lena's features. "It doesn't take a genius to work out what happened between the two of you last night. What I want to know is why it happened."

Lena raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think?"

"I think Kara was under the influence of kryptonite." Alex answered bluntly. "I want to know why _you_ did it. It's not as though you like her like that...is it?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Lena managed to retort though she was still reeling at Alex's accusation. "Are you suggesting that I took advantage?"

Alex was silent, staring intently at Lena for a moment. "Did you?"

"Of course I didn't!" Lena exclaimed, anger seeping into her voice. She gripped the back of the seat, hard and glared at Alex. "I didn't do anything Kara didn't want me to do. I didn't know she was _drugged_! If I'd known I wouldn't have let it happen!"

"Why did you? I don't understand. Kara told me you hate her."

"I've never said tha…" Lena trailed off, recalling that she had said those exact words to Kara. She felt suddenly sick. Kara had believed her enough to tell Alex about it. "I don't hate her."

Alex sighed and sat back down, leaning back in her chair. "There's something else I have to tell you."

Lena briefly gritted her teeth. "What?"

"I spoke to Kara earlier." Alex began, watching Lena carefully. "About everything that's happened. And why she's in the bubble."

"And?"

"I thought you would want to know…" Alex hesitated for a second before she continued. "Kara doesn't remember what happened...last night."

"What?"

Alex frowned as Lena stared at her, dumbfounded. "She doesn't remember what happened between the two of you. I didn't tell her. Obviously. I thought you would want to figure that out."

Lena nodded numbly. "I-I should be going. Tell Kara that I'll come back tomorrow morning."

"If you want to see her now, I…"

"I don't!" Lena exclaimed, causing Alex to flinch slightly. "It's not what you think. I just need to gather my thoughts about all of this. I'll be back."

With that said, she turned and hurried out of the room.

Alex watched her go, concern written across her face. Resigning herself to not being able to do anything, she got to her feet. She supposed she would have to give Kara the bad news that it was pointless to wait up for Lena.

TBC. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all of the reviews, I'm so glad you guys still like this. Although...you may not like me much after this chapter. Heh. Enjoy! Let me know what you think. :)**

Lena paused in the doorway to the room Kara was being kept in, trying to muster up the courage to enter the room. Try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Kara didn't remember what had happened between the two of them. That Alex was under the impression that she had taken advantage of Kara's inebriated, vulnerable state. Maybe she had.

Lena looked around the doorway into the room. The silence had led her to believe that Kara was alone. Instead, she found the emerald archer leaning back against the barrier separating Kara from the outside. Kara mirrored his position on the other side of the glass, a little to his right.

Lena felt a familiar twinge of jealousy at the sight but quickly shook it off. Kara wasn't hers to feel jealous over. She locked eyes with Oliver and cleared her throat the get Kara's attention.

Kara glanced over her shoulder, seemingly disinterested in whoever was there but she visibly brightened when she saw Lena standing there. "Lena! Hi." She scrambled to her feet as Lena entered the room. "I didn't expect to see you this early. I thought you might be busy with meetings."

"My schedule was clear today," Lena answered, choosing not to mention that she had canceled everything on her schedule. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. See?" Kara used her super speed to get to the other side of the tiny 'room' she was being kept in. "I just wish Alex would let me out."

"She's been complaining about it all morning." Oliver stood up, stretching and for the first time, Lena noticed that he'd changed from his suit into a black shirt and some light jeans. "I should go and find Alex. See if she needs any help with anything. I'll see you later, Kara."

"See you later." Kara returned back to the other side of the room, at normal speed this time. Her eyes remained fixed on Lena as Oliver left the room. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Lena echoed, stopping directly in front of Kara. Her hand twitched at her side but she resisted the urge to touch the barrier separating the two of them. "You're the one who was stabbed."

"I know but Alex said some things about me losing my inhibitions and doing things I wouldn't usually," Kara replied sheepishly, not quite able to meet Lena's eyes. "And I know you were at my apartment when I got sick so I was wondering if maybe I hurt you or...something."

"You didn't hurt me," Lena said quietly. "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do."

Kara frowned in confusion at the response. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

"You told me the truth."

"Right…" Kara stared at Lena, noticing the troubled look on her face. She stepped closer, only succeeding in pressing herself flush against the barrier. "I wish I had told you the truth earlier."

"I know." Lena murmured, aware that they were thinking about two different truths. "Me too, Kara."

"Do you think there's a chance we can be friends again?" Kara had to force the words out of her mouth. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question. She was too afraid that the answer would be yes. "Even just a slim chance?"

Lena swallowed against the lump in her throat. "I don't know. I don't know if I can go back to being friends with you."

Kara tried to hide how much the answer stung and slowly nodded her head. "I understand. But just...if there's anything I can do to make this better...if you think of anything at all, just tell me."

"Actually, I…" Lena was interrupted by a sudden gush of wind blowing her hair up. She swung around in alarm. Her stomach plummeted at the sight of the suited man standing in front of her. The color was different but the suit was all too similar to Godspeed's. Lena instinctively stepped to the right, trying to shield Kara.

"BARRY!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Secret identity, remember?" The masked speedster said hurriedly as he stepped forward. He was grinning though, letting Lena know that he wasn't a threat.

"Right. Sorry. Lena's a friend though. You don't have to worry." Kara said brightly. "What are you doing here? Have you seen Oliver?"

"It was actually Oliver who contacted me." Barry experimentally pressed his hand against the barrier Kara was being kept behind.

"Yeah, I would hug you but…" Kara gestured meekly at the barrier. "Alex thinks I need to be in here for another 24 hours to make sure I'm at full health."

"Are you contagious?"

"What? No!"

Barry grinned and phased through the barrier separating the two of them.

Kara gasped in delight and rushed forward into Barry's open arms, hugging him tightly.

Lena sighed to herself as she watched them. She supposed she should have been relieved by the interruption but she wasn't. If anything, she was annoyed by it. She cleared her throat when the hug went on for a little too long.

"Oh, sorry." Kara sheepishly let Barry go and he took back, taking an exaggeratedly deep breath. "I've been deprived of human contact for the past 36 hours. Barry, this is my…" Kara made eye contact with Lena, clearly not sure what she should say. "Lena."

"Your Lena?" Barry smirked at her before he turned to the dark-haired woman on the other side of the glass. "Hey. I'm the Flash. You can just call me Barry though."

Kara grimaced at the look Barry shot her. "I'm sorry! I was surprised to see you and it just came out. You really can trust her though. I promise."

Lena swallowed thickly at the earnest tone of Kara's voice. She didn't know how Kara could consider her to be trustworthy after what had happened with myriad. "Actually I should probably go. I have a meeting."

"What? But you just got here!" Kara protested hurriedly. "I thought you said your schedule was clear today?"

"I just remembered something." Lena grimaced at the fact that she'd slipped up. Her mind was a mess of jumbled thoughts and memories. She wasn't sure she could look at Kara the same now that she'd seen her naked. "I um...I'm glad you're okay. If anything happens just let me know. I'll see you later."

Barry raised an eyebrow as Lena turned and rushed out of the room. "She seems a little um...skittish?"

"She's not, it's...it's complicated." Kara stared forlornly after Lena for a moment before she turned back to Barry, forcing a smile to her face. "So what are you doing here?"

"I came for Godspeed actually," Barry answered, carefully removing his cowl. He sat down on the edge of Kara's bed. "Your sister and Oliver figured the best person to deal with a speedster is a speedster."

"Makes sense. Are you staying long?"

"Probably just until Alex is done with Godspeed," Barry answered with a slight shrug. "So what happened to you? Oliver didn't say much. Just that you got hurt."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I was stabbed with kryptonite. Everything else is just blurry or not there at all." Kara's thoughts turned back to Lena. She had definitely done something to her. Barry was right, Lena was acting skittish around her. She seemed less angry now. She just seemed sad. And worried. Kara couldn't get a read on her. "How did you tell Iris that you were the Flash?"

"Whoa." Barry stared at Kara in surprise. "Thinking of telling someone who you really are? I didn't know you were seeing someone."

"I'm not." Kara's heart clenched in her chest. "It's not that, it's just...was Iris angry with you when you told her? How long did you keep it a secret from her?"

"Uh...you know what? I'll be right back." Barry sped off and Kara huffed in annoyance as she sat down on the bed. A minute or so passed before Barry returned with a paper bag and 2 paper cups in a cup holder. "I figured you could use some food. And this conversation might take a while."

"Barry Allen, I could kiss you!"

"Please don't." Barry gave a soft laugh as Kara took the bag from him and began to dig around in it. "I doubt Iris would be happy about it."

Kara faux glared at him. "So you were saying? About Iris?"

"Right, well…" Barry proceeded to dive into the story of how Iris had found out that he was the Flash and Kara listened intently, happy to have found someone who could relate to the struggle of keeping such a huge secret from someone they loved.

Lena stared into her coffee as she stirred it aimlessly, watching the froth of the cappucino slide slowly off the spoon, landing silently back in the drink. She had ignored the urge to drink her usual glass of whisky. As much as she wanted to drown her sorrows, she also needed her mind clear. She needed to try to figure out what to do. Her anger toward Kara had ebbed away, replaced with anger at herself for softening toward the woman who'd betrayed her.

"This is not what we do." She mumbled to herself. She recalled her mother saying that to her more than once when she'd shown weakness as a child. They were Luthors. Displaying weakness was not something they did.

So she'd had sex with Kara. So what? That didn't mean all of the anger, hurt and resentment was just going to fall away. It didn't mean that Lena had forgiven her. Only she had. Or she was going to at least. She felt herself getting closer and closer to letting that anger go. But why? The only thing that had changed was that night and Kara didn't even remember it. That, along with that fact that Kara had almost died.

Letting out a sigh, Lena glanced to the pad of paper on the counter next to her. She'd been trying to figure it out for a while now, where this sudden desire to forgive Kara Danvers had come from. It frustrated her to no end. She wasn't weak. She wasn't going to show weakness.

She was torn from her thoughts by the familiar sound of someone landing on her balcony. She looked up in time to see Kara knock gently on the glass. When their eyes met, the caped her offered a slight wave before she pushed the ajar door open and stepped inside.

"Speak of the devil." Lena drawled as she watched Kara walk closer to her.

"You were talking about me?" Kara looked around, clearly confused. There was nobody else in the apartment. She had made sure of that before she landed.

"Nevermind." Lena waved the question off. "I see your sister finally let you out."

"Yeah." Kara smiled at that. "She said I was doing much better so she let me out a few hours early and well...here I am. Good as new."

Lena took a sip of her coffee, finding it lukewarm. She supposed that was her own fault, for merely fidgeting with it for the past fifteen minutes. "What can I do for you, Supergirl?"

Kara looked hurt for a fraction of a second before she spoke. "I want to know what I did to you. Alex said you were there when I was sick and I don't remember anything. Alex won't tell me what I did but she wouldn't have locked me up otherwise. Can you please just tell me? If I did something...something _else_ to hurt you, I want to know."

"You didn't do anything to hurt me." Lena answered curtly. "Nothing new."

"Nothing new." Kara echoed slowly, her brow furrowed. She stepped forward until she was lightly gripping the other side of the counter Lena was standing behind. "Which means I did do something, right? I knew it! What di-?"

"Kara, I said it's nothing!" Lena exclaimed loudly. She set her coffee down harder than she intended, sending it splashing over the edges onto her pristine counter. She cursed as some of it splashed onto her notebook and quickly set about finding a cloth to wipe the mess up.

Kara looked at the notepad, seeing her name written on it. She reached across to pick it up, out of curiosity. Lena's handwriting was as neat as she had expected it to be. Not like her messy, hurrid, reporters scrawl. She frowned as she read it. "You wrote liar down twice."

"What?" Lena looked up, her eyes widening when she saw what Kara was holding. "What are you doing? That's private."

"Sorry. I noticed my name was written on it." Kara said sheepishly. "What is it? A list of...pros and cons? Good and bad?"

Lena felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment at the question. "Yes."

Kara glanced back down at the paper for a moment. "Plane crash, concrete block, falling, publicly defending…" She murmured as she read through the list. She noticed an unfinished sentence at the end. "I l...What were you going to write?"

"You do know what private means, don't you?" Lena reached across the counter separating them and snatched the notepad from Kara. "It's really none of your business."

Kara let out a weary sigh, her shoulders slumping. She watched Lena storm past her to put the notepad away. She disappeared into the bedroom but when she came back, Kara was still standing in the same position.

"You've saved my life twice now in the last couple of days alone." Kara remarked as she watched Lena walk toward the couch. "You really didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did."

"Lena." Kara went to the couch, perching on it next to Lena. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lena said tiredly. To prove her point she looked up at Kara, her eyes fixed on the blonde's cheek. "I'm looking at you right now. Though I would prefer not to be, I have work in the morning."

"You won't look me in the eye." Kara reached out, her fingertips grazing the back of Lena's hand before Lena wrenched away from her. She fought a stab of hurt at the rejection. "What did I do to you? Just tell me and I'll...mmph!" Kara didn't manage to finish her sentence. She saw Lena move and suddenly she was kissing her. _Lena Luthor_ was kissing her and Kara couldn't do anything for a second. Lena's hand moved to the back of Kara's neck and Kara found herself giving in, her eyes sliding closed as she kissed Lena back.

It lasted only a few glorious seconds before Lena drew away from Kara, her pupils blown wide. "You told me the truth."

Kara opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she managed to croak out a response. "W-What do you mean?"

Lena let out a frustrated sigh. "I went to your apartment to tell you I didn't have anything to do with what happened to you and you kissed me. Told me you wanted me."

Kara felt her stomach plummet at the thought. "Oh...oh no…w-we...did we…?"

Lena nodded in response, troubled as she took in Kara's mortified expression. "Is the idea of sleeping with me so terrible?"

"N-No! No, of course not." Kara answered hastily. She didn't want to give Lena the wrong idea but she was struggling to wrap her mind around it. "I'm just...I'm shocked. And confused. Why would you want to...you know?"

"Have sex with you." Lena said, pulling away entirely. She tried not to let the sting Kara's reaction caused her to show on her face. "I think you know why. Do I really need to say it?"

"Please." Kara reached out and this time she succeeded in grasping Lena's hand. "I need to know."

"Because I love you!" Lena answered, finally meeting Kara's eyes, aware that her own were damp with tears. "I love you and I hate myself for it. It's weak. It's pathetic."

"Lena…" Kara couldn't help it. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Lena, embracing her gently. She felt Lena stiffen for a moment before relaxing, melting into her arms. "You're not weak or pathetic. You're the strongest person I know. I'm not just saying that."

"I should hate you." Lena's voice was muffled by Kara's neck but Kara heard it.

"I can hate myself enough for the both of us." Kara said softly. She slowly drew away to look into Lena's eyes. A moment of silence passed between them before Kara spoke again. "I should go."

"Go." Lena blinked in surprise at the abrupt announcement. She realized she'd been holding onto Kara's arms only when the hero slipped from her grasp. "You're leaving? After everything I just said, you're just _leaving_?"

Kara hesitated for a moment, a pained look on her face. Her hands twitched at her sides and Lena noticed that the blonde looked close to tears herself. "I'm not going to hurt you again, Lena."

Lena stood up, her hands balled into fists as she followed Kara toward the balcony. "You're doing this to me _again_? You don't get to make decisions for me. You don't get to _decide_ what's best for me! Kara Danvers, don't you DARE fly away from me!"

Kara stopped and took a deep breath of the cool air outside before she turned slowly toward Lena. "Do you think that I'm what's best for you? You know what my life is like. You know how dangerous it is. I was selfish before when I lied to you. To keep you as a friend. I'm not going to do that again."

"You think this is selfless? This isn't honorable, this is you being a coward!" Lena stepped forward, gripping the neckline of Kara's suit to keep her from flying off. "You don't think I'm scared too after everything that's happened?"

"I know you are." Her eyes watering, Kara gently took Lena's hand away and stepped back, using her speed to fly off.

"_Why can't you just be brave for ONCE?"_

Lena's parting mumble was heard perfectly by Kara, thanks to her super senses. She wished she could be.

She made a beeline for her apartment, ready to crawl into bed and cry into her pillow. Noticing her head was feeling fuzzy and she was veering off course, Kara frowned to herself and struggled to set herself right. She put it down to being unsteady on her feet after her encounter with Lena and ignored the nausea that followed as she finally landed.

TBC. 


End file.
